Kate's Nightmare
by hyessabn2004
Summary: After escaping from the Others, Kate is having nightmares since she was tortured by Danny. This terrible experience has brought back all the nightmares of her entire life. She is now afraid to be alone. Will Jack be able to help her overcome and become independent again as she once was? - Jate / a little bit of Skate and Suliet
1. The Fright

**Hey guys, I'm already apologizing because I know my english skills are not perfect LOL, so please, feel free to correct me if you see something wrong.**

 **Thanks, and I hope you enjoy it. (:**

* * *

Kate looked around. She was trapped in a cage, in the same cage that had previously been imprisoned. She could not remember how she had stopped there again. Suddenly she heard a voice. It was a man, Danny. She remembered him the last time she had been captured by the others.

Danny opened a cell and one pulled violently by the arm. He tied her in a chair and gagged her. She felt a blow to her face. He was hitting her. It hurt a lot, and she screamed. She made every effort in the world to get out of there and get rid of the pain. She screamed as loud as she could for help. When she realized she was almost out of breath, he began to touch her, to kiss her. She started to lift the shirt Kate was wearing ...

"Kaaate!" She heard a familiar voice that brought her back to reality. It was Jack's voice. - Kate, wake up! The doctor had his hands on her face, still trying to wake her completely.

"Jack ..." she stood up quickly. She had tears streaming down her face. She was terrified.

"Kate, it's okay! You just had a nightmare." He stroked her face with the back of his fingers.

"Jack, he was ... beating me so hard, I could not escape and ..." Kate was confused, frightened. It had all been so real. She was so desperate that she held Jack like he was trying to get away.

"Shhh, Kate." He finally hugged her. "There's no one here to hurt you, it was a nightmare, okay?" He cupped her chin so she focused his attention on him.

Jack knew the next nights would not be easy for Kate. They had escaped within a few hours from the Others, and it was an especially terrifying experience for Kate. For Jack and Sawyer, it had been difficult too, but Kate had suffered much more there. She was forced to do things she did not want, to work and carry a weight much greater than she could bear. They had beaten her several times and her body still had all the bruises of the terrible days she had passed.

He looked at Kate, who was crying inconsolably, all this was still very recent.

"Will you feel better if I stay here with you?" Jack offered. "Would you feel safer?" He was worried, Kate seemed to be having a high fever.

Kate nodded. Jack wiped the tears rolling down her freckled cheeks, and kissed her forehead. "Kate, what happened to you is never going to happen again, I promise you that!

She cried, sobbing, she managed to say, "Thank you"

Jack closed Kate's tent and lay down. With one arm, he wrapped her close to his body. She flinched close to him. She was still crying softly.

"You need to rest, Kate. You have not had a good night's sleep in a long time, have you?" He stroked the Kate's back.

"Please do not make me sleep, Jack," she begged. She was afraid of what she could see in her dreams.

"You have to, Katie. You have a high fever," he said as he placed his hands on her forehead to be sure. "Sleeping will make you feel better."

"I can not, Jack, I'm so scared." She cried louder.

Jack sat down. "Shhh ... Nothing bad will happen to you, I'm here, okay? Come here." He tenderly laid her down and helped Kate turn, with her tummy down. He brushed the hair from around her neck, and blew very softly. Kate was sweating from the agitation she had had. He started to run his hands down Kate's back, massaging her gently. Slowly Kate was calming down, and in about ten minutes, she had already fallen asleep. Jack gently laid a blanket over Kate.

"Jack." He heard a voice coming from outside. It was Juliet. He pushed a piece off the canvas so Juliet could see it. He made a sign of silence with his fingers. "I was looking for you, you disappeared."

"Kate is not very well, she's burning with fever. I'm going to spend the night here to make sure she's okay." He explained. Juliet had not yet had time to set up her own tent and Jack had offered her sleep in his tent. Maybe that's why she missed him.

"Oh, I did not know, I hope she's all right. Good evening, Jack." She said goodbye.

"Good evening, I'll help you finish setting up your tent tomorrow, okay?"

"OK."

Jack turned to Kate. He could see the outline of her face through the gap that had been opened in the tent. "How beautiful she is," he thought. He lay down next to her and took some time to fall asleep.

* * *

He woke up with Aaron's crying. Claire was positioning him on her lap so he could suckle. The cry stopped instantly. Jack stared at Kate for a few minutes. He put his hand on the girl's face, still feverish. Jack's touch finally woke her up. Kate's large green eyes opened and found Jack's.

"Good morning, Katie. I'm sorry, I did not want to wake you up." He smiled at her, caressing her cheek. "How are you feeling?"

She smiled back, with a little effort. She did not feel very well. "I'm a little sore, I think I slept badly .."

"Where's it hurting, Kate?"

"My neck, and my back ..." Kate tried to sit down, but felt a twinge in the low back that made her move her hand to the sore spot.

"Let me see that." Jack took her hand away and squeezed it a little. "Do you feel pain when I press?"

She nodded. He searched for some kind of injury, but apparently there was nothing unusual about it, except for the bruises.

"Let's keep an eye on it, Kate, but apparently you've just slept badly." He helped Kate to sit down. "I'll get you something to eat, okay? Stay here."

"I'll go with you". She tried to get up.

"Hey, Kate, no way. Try to rest for at least a couple of hours, besides the back pain, you also have a fever." He explained to the girl.

"I can not stay inside this tent anymore, Jack." She begged.

"Ok, It's all right". He sighed. Jack helped Kate to her feet. He put a hand on her waist to support her as he walked. Kate did not feel so bad that she needed help walking, but she liked Jack's closeness to her, so she did not complain.

"Thank you." She shyly smiled at him.

Jack and Kate entered the forest, picking up some fruit, filling their water bottles and talking. It had been a few days since Kate had felt close to Jack like that. Since they were captured by the Others, he was spending much more time with Juliet. This kills Kate inside, who inadvertently ended up seeking affection for Sawyer.

Then suddenly, they heard a shriek from the side, it was a female voice.

"Kate, wait here, I'll be right back." Jack needed to run there and she could not keep up with him.

"Jack, wait ..." she called.

"I'll be right back, I need you to stay here to take care of the fruit, I'm going to walk a lot faster without the weight. She nodded. Jack helped her down and kissed her forehead. "I'll be back."

He ran to where he heard the voice. "Heey" No answer. He glanced around, and saw Juliet on the ground a few feet away. He ran to her.

"Juliet, what happened?" He helped her up.

"Someone ... attacked me." She was still dizzy.

"Who?"

"I do not remember." Juliet seemed to hide something, but Jack did not care.

"Okay, stay calm, let's clean this cut."

* * *

Kate was a bit impatient to wait for Jack, she hated being left behind. She heard footsteps, and thought it was Jack. But it was Danny. He put a gun around her neck and grabbed his arm violently. "I need you to come with me, if you make a little noise, I'll kill you."

He held it so tightly that Kate felt an immense pain. He shoved her and laughed at Kate, who was crying.

Locke was teaching Sawyer to hunt boars, when he saw an open backpack, with several fruits out, some trampled, even. All spread out on the floor.

"What is it?" Saywer asked as he saw Locke looking at his pack.

"It looks like Jack's backpack." Locke concluded.

"Has something happened to the doctor?"

"Let's find out." They started following the trail that led to where they found the backpack. Locke and Sawyer were attentive to any sign or sound. They walked fast to try to reach what they thought was Jack's footsteps.

* * *

Jack finished wiping Juliet's bleeding face, and helped her walk back to where she'd left Kate.

When she got there, she did not find the girl, only her backpack open and with all the fruit scattered on the floor. "Kaaate! Kaate, where are you?" Jack was screaming, worried about her.

Sawyer and Locke finally caught sight of Danny, pulling Kate by the arm, she was already full of pain and weak. He did not care. He just wanted to get her to his house as soon as possible.

Locke did not think twice, he threw the knife he held on Danny's back, which, with the shock, ended up firing the gun at Kate.

"You're crazy?" Sawyer asked. Kate fell in pain. The bullet had hit her leg at the level of his thigh. She was losing blood.

"What else could I do besides that?" Locke checked Danny's wrist. He looked dead. He removed the knife from Danny's back and wiped it on his own pants. Meanwhile Sawyer ran to see how Kate was.

He came close to her and bent down. "Are you all right, Freckles?" He lifted her face with his hands. She was frightened, icy, pale, and thick tears streamed down her face, she could not speak. Her leg was bleeding badly.

Sawyer bent down, put his fingers lightly around the girl's neck. He saw that her lips, and her fingers began to turn purple. "She's in shock, we need to contain the loss of blood." Locke tore the sleeve from his shirt and tied it to Kate's leg where the wound was.

"It's okay, Freckles. We'll take care of you." He tried to calm her down. He lifted her, taking her under his arms and placing his left arm under her buttocks to support the weight. With his right arm, he helped her to put her legs around him, and her arms as well. He laid Kate's head on his shoulder and held his hand there. She was still crying in pain. "Shh, it's okay."

Locke and Sawyer went back the same way they had done, and there they found Jack and Juliet. He was looking for Kate and Juliet still half a whir of the blow.

"What happened to her?" Jack approached.

"She was shot by Danny." Locke explained.

Jack tried to get Kate, but Sawyer refused. "Let's just get on with it, Doc. She needs help."

Jack helped Juliet to her feet and the group walked as fast as they could until they reached the camp. During the course, Sawyer tried to calm down Kate, speaking in his ear that she would be well, but he did not obtain much success.

They laid Kate in Sawyer's tent, which was the first and furthest from all the others. Jack definitely did not want a bunch of people while Kate was in shock.

"Stay with her, I'll get my bag." Jack asked and ran to his tent. Juliet sat down next to Sawyer while Locke left.

"Where are you going?" Sawyer asked.

"I'll find a way around Danny." And left, determined. Juliet, hearing that, opened her lips as if to say something, but said nothing.

"It was you, right?" Sawyer asked, hatred in his eyes. "You distracted Jack so he could get Kate."

"I ... I do not ..." Juliet was rescued by Jack, who returned to the tent, tired, with everything he needed. He took out the band Locke had put in to stanch the blood. He looked at the wound, the bullet was still there.

"Okay, I'll need some help." Jack asked.

"You can count on me, Doc." Sawyer glared at Juliet.

"I'm going to need to take her pants off so I can take the bullet away, she's going to move a lot because of the pain, I need you to contain the movements so she can be quick so she does not hurt any more."

"OK."

Kate was cold, paler than she had ever been. Tears had already flooded her face and part of her hair. Jack opened Kate's belt and then her pants. She tried to get up, she was shaking. Jack could see in her eyes how frightened she was, not only because of the accident she'd had, but because they were trying to take off her clothes. Jack realized that she had been abused. "Katie, honey, we're going to need to take off your pants to get the bullet out of your leg, okay?" Jack decided to warn her to be at least quiet about it. She cried. To make matters worse, some cloth fibers had penetrated the wound along with the bullet, which made the process much more difficult. Kate screamed and cried in pain. And she moved a lot, trying to keep them from touching the wound. Sawyer tried to restrain the girl's movements.

"Hey, Katie, the less you move, the faster will it be?" He stroked her face. "I know it hurts, but I promise you it will end soon." Jack explained.

"Please make it stop, it hurts so much ... please ..." Kate begged. The Jack's heart broke when he saw Kate suffer like this. He just wanted to take that pain off her. Sawyer, internally, was thinking the same thing. She was still crying and writhing in pain. Sawyer, with tears in his eyes, held Kate so she would not move too much.

Jack had barely touched the tweezers to remove the bullet, and Kate groaned in pain. She could not take it anymore. Juliet could not stand the pain either. There was not much she could do, but she decided to help. She laid Kate's head on her lap and stroked her long curly hair gently to try to reassure her.

"Shhh, just do not think about the pain, okay?" She wiped at Kate's tears that were still flowing. "Jack is taking care of you, you trust him, do not you, dear?" She nodded, still crying.

"Please, make it stop, I can not take it anymore ..." she demanded, her voice almost gone, of so much pain she felt. Deep sobs followed her speech.

"Hey, hey, look at me, Kate. Do not look at anything else." She tried to distract the her. "Can you tell me what Jack instructed you to do when you're afraid of something?"

"Count ... until ... 5 ..!" The pain only increased as Jack worked the bullet out of her thigh. She cried and cried out in pain as she answered Juliet.

"That's right, dear! So let's count together?" She smiled, trying to calm her down. "It'll be over before you know it." She wiped away the new tears that came. "One.."

Kate could not keep up. She only felt pain. Sawyer and Jack marveled at Juliet's attitude, they did not expect it.

"Shh, it's okay! Stay with me, honey. Two.."

Screams ! Jack had now taken the bullet. The worst part was over.

"Three..."

Jack was starting to score the wound. Juliet stroked Kate's face to keep her better.

"Four .. You're doing great, Kate! It's almost over." She looked at Jack, he was finishing the stitches.

"Five! Do you see? It's over!" The pain is over, honey. "She kissed Kate on the forehead. Jack gave a sign of thanks to Juliet and Sawyer.

"I'm very proud of you, Freckles." Sawyer told her. "You showed us how strong you are, pretty."

Jack looked at Kate, she was cold, drenched with sweat and tears. "I'll take her to her tent."

"Are you crazy? Someone needs to be with her."

"I'll do it." Jack said coldly as he took Kate in his arms. "I need to keep her warm."

Sawyer grabbed his blanket and placed it on top of Kate, who was already in Jack's arms, inconsolable. He kissed the Kate's head.

"If you need help, call me," he offered.

"Thank you," Jack thanked him.

He carried Kate to her tent. On the way, he was approached by Hurley, Charles, Claire, Sun and Rose about what had happened to her, but he only gave them a quick explanation and went on his way. Rose, however, walked with the doctor until they reached her tent.

Jack sat with his legs apart, placed Kate between them, and laid her in his arms. He wrapped the blanket around her, who was freezing, to keep her warm.

"I'm so scared, Jack," she cried softly.

"Shhh, I'm here! Try to get some rest, okay?"

Rose, who watched the scene from outside the tent, decided it was time to get in there. She sat facing Jack.

"You look very tired, Doctor," he said.

"I'm just worried about her." He did not take his eyes from the girl.

"She needs to change her clothes, she's flooded." Rose slid her hand down Kate's arm, which was under the blanket.

"You're right. Can you help me with this?" Jack asked. He did not want the girl to startle him by trying to take her clothes off again.

Jack pulled the blanket off Kate. The brunette cringed at the cold.

"It's okay, honey, you'll be warm in a minute." Rose, took off Kate's t-shirt and put a shirt that Jack lent her. It was big enough to look like a dress for her. Jack covered the girl with the blanket, as he had done before. She snuggled into the doctor's arms. He wanted Kate to get better soon. He could not bear to see her like this she was just getting worse.


	2. Sleepwalking

Sawyer took advantage that Juliet was still there, in his tent, to ask him. "So, you did not really have anything to do with Kate's attack?"

"No, James. Danny hit me just because I refused to help him with that." Her face was still very swollen.

"Well, I'm sorry I misheard you ... you know, I did not make a good first impression." Sawyer joked. He felt free to ask. "So, you and Jack are .. being in love?

Juliet frowned. "Excuse?"

"C'mon, everybody's noticing." Sawyer gave his charming smile to Juliet.

"We're friends, James" she laughed. "He's just helping me because no one here trusts me."

"I understand."

They saw Locke approaching them. "He was not there anymore," he announced.

"Danny?" Juliet asked.

"Yes, I looked for him, but he was gone.

The three looked at each other, finding the situation strange, since Danny was apparently dead.

"We'd better not let anyone go to the forest alone." Sawyer concluded.

"You're right. So, how's Kate doing?" Locke wanted to know.

"She's with Jack."

* * *

Kate looked a little warmer in dry clothes and feeling the warmth of Jack's body. Rose was still there, worried not only about Kate, but also about Jack, who would not stop to rest for a minute.

"Have you eaten anything?" Rose asked.

"Actually, there's not enough time yet." Jack confessed. He honestly had not thought of that.

Rose shook her head. She went to the neighboring tent and brought something in her hands.

"No need to worry, I ..."

"Please, eat this." She gave him some boar meat. "You've been taking care of the girl all day, you need to eat, or soon someone's going to need to take care of you. And she needs to eat, too."

"I do not even know what to say.."

"Just accept it, Jack." Rose smiled.

Rose held out her arms so that Jack let her take care of Kate for him to eat. The doctor gently laid Kate's head on Rose's lap. He realized how hungry he was. "When she wakes up, I'll give her something to eat."

Kate had fallen asleep a few minutes ago.

They looked out of the tent and the wind seemed much stronger than before. Jack was looking worried out.

"What's troubling you, kid?" Rose saw Juliet trying to finish her tent alone. Jack remembered that she too was injured, and that he had promised to help her with the tent.

"You have a good heart ... It's all right here, she's sleeping." Rose smiled. "Go help her, but get some rest after that, please."

"Thank you"

Jack ran to Juliet, about to pick up the canvas that would fly in the wind if he was not there. "I said it would help," he smiled. Juliet smiled back.

"Jack, you do not need to .."

"I know not, but I want to," he said as he tied the canvas to one of the supporting branches. The tent seemed to take shape.

Rose thought Kate needed something more comfortable to lie down. She searched for something around but did not find it. "Apparently Jack does not care much about his own comfort," she thought. Rose wanted to make Kate as comfortable as possible, so she went to her tent to find something she could use to soften Kate's sleep. She saw that Bernard was probably using a seat on the plane to support things. Withdrawn all of them and with great effort, he managed to move the seat a little. This would take more than Rose had thought.

Kate started to move. Her eyes moved very fast, even though they were closed. She struggled. Danny had pinned her wrists with handcuffs. He ordered her to get up. Kate could not, she felt weak. He pulled her into the shackles, his wrists bleeding from the strength he use, and he laughed at her. The brunette looked around for help, and finally she spotted her mother. She called for Diane (her mother), but she simply looked at her daughter being tortured and did nothing.

Rose heard Kate calling for her mother, and ran back to the tent where Kate was. It was too late, she had gotten up, tried to run, but she limped a lot. Rose shouted for Kate, and Sawyer coming back from the sea, listened. He ran to Kate, who was sleepwalking. She was still living her nightmare. He approached the girl, holding her on her shoulders.

"Freckles, what are you doing?" Kate was still crying, trying to get rid of Sawyer. "Hey, Freckles, look at me." He held her shoulders, which shook with fear, and she woke up even more frightened. Sawyer hugged her. "You should not be standing." He said affectionately.

"He's coming, Sawyer, please help me." Kate was shaking, she was cold, the sobbing inconsolable.

"Who's coming, sweetheart?" Sawyer tried to understand.

"Danny." Her tear-stained green eyes were staring at Sawyer, pleading for help. "My mother did not want to help me. I think she hates me." She spoke to him, still crying.

Sawyer finally understood that it was a dream. He caught Kate in his lap. He lifted her, as he would do with a child and made her lay on his shoulder, to calm down. With one hand he stroked Kate, who instinctively placed her legs around him. "Shhh, it's okay, Freckles. It was just a nightmare, it's over. You're safe, and no one hates you, especially your mom." Sawyer kissed Kate on the forehead and kept his lips there as he walked closer to the sea, taking light steps, as if he were cradling Kate.

The wind was getting worse. The sky was already starting to darken because of the dark clouds of rain. Kate looked a little quieter as Sawyer looked down and saw that his clothes had a bloodstain, blood still wet. He saw that the stitches of Kate's leg had opened with the effort she had made to walk. "Damn," Sawyer wanted to speak. He did not want to scare Kate even more. He walked back with her to Jack's tent, but he was not there, only Rose.

"Where is the doctor?"

Rose was not well, she felt guilty for not seeing Kate get up. "I do not know," she said weakly.

Sawyer, without speaking a word, showed Kate's leg bleeding to Rose. He made a sign of silence for her, which brought her hands to her mouth instantly.

"Sit here with her," she rose from the plane seat that had finally managed to change the tent. "I'll go look for him."

Sawyer sat up, taking care not to hurt Kate even more. She no longer cried, but kept silent, her face buried in Sawyer's chest. He covered her and brought her as close to him as he could. Sawyer did not want Kate to have to go through all that pain again. She held Sawyer's T-shirt tightly in one of her hands. It was as if her safety was there.

It was not long before Rose came back with Jack. Apparently, she had already told him everything that had happened to him.

"Let me see." He took the blanket off Kate and saw that the stitches had broken. Kate finally lifted her face, and saw what had happened. The wound was bleeding badly, and it burned too.

"Katie," Jack knew how hard it would be to see her facing that pain again. She already knew what he was going to say. "I'm going to need to close this wound again, otherwise it will infect, okay?" The eyes that had not even dried, tears came back. "It's okay, it's going to be a lot faster than last time, I promise"

Sawyer put his hand behind Kate's head and hugged her, so she did not have to look at Jack sewing it. "I'm here with you, Freckles." He whispered in her ear. Her hand tightened even more tightly on Sawyer's T-shirt, which was already kneaded.

Jack tried to score the points as fast as he could, as he heard Kate's crying muffled by Sawyer's chest. "It's over, Katie, it's over," he warned her as she put her hand on top of hers. Jack's hearts, like Sawyer's, were broken. They stood there with her, in silence, until Kate calmed down. Rose interrupted the moment by bringing some tea she had made. It was still warm, and she gave it to Kate.

"With this tea she'll sleep a lot better." Rose stated. Jack took the glass for Kate, who showed no sign of movement, had only one blank stare.

Jack put his hand on the Kate's forehead, it was icy. The rain began to fall, a few drops, but huge drops. The day had turned into night. Rose said goodbye and went to her tent, before the rain got worse. "Make her drink. I want to see this girl climbing trees like she used to." They smiled at Rose.

"Sawyer, I'll take care of her, you can go back to your tent."

"No way." He rebelled. "It happened when you were 'taking care of her.'"

"Sawyer, I'm not going anywhere now. She needs to rest, it will not work for us both taking care of her at the same time."

"Then let her choose." Sawyer was nervous.

"OK." Jack turned to Kate, and stroked her face. "Katie, what do you want?" She still had an empty stare, her eyes swollen and red. It was as if no one had spoken to her. "Katie ..?" Jack put his hand on her chin so she could look at him.

The girl hugged him immediately, and returned to cry. Sawyer looked down, annoyed, that she'd chosen Jack. He soon realized as he passed Kate into Jack's lap. "I do not even think she heard something I said, Sawyer."

"Yeah, of course. Whatever you said, Doc." He stood up to leave.

"Hey ..." Jack called out. "I think Kate would be happy to have you around." He smiled.

Sawyer paused for a moment. He wanted to stay.

"Ok, I'll stay, just because I know you're going to need help and I do not want to let you down." Jack and Sawyer laughed together. The rain was already heavy.

"What do you think she has, Doc?"

"Post traumatic stress, I guess. She's had nightmares, she's scared to see herself alone, she has this uncontrollable urge to cry, and sometimes her brain shuts out of reality in an attempt to reduce stress, like now ... He looked at Kate. "Do you know what they did to her?"

"I do not even want to know. Just thinking about what might have made Kate like this, I feel like killing the bastard. Fortunately, Locke put an end to him."

"He is in her nightmares."

"She told me something about her mother today." Sawyer let go.

"What she said?" Jack wanted to know.

"She said that Danny was following her, and her mother did not want to help, that she hated her or something." He tried to remember.

"Poor thing ... probably this situation has brought all her fears back to the surface, and she's not knowing how to deal." Kate moved on Jack's lap. It seemed she was coming back to reality. Jack wiped a dripping tear and brushed the hair from her face. "Hey, sweetie." He smiled at her.

Kate tried very hard to get a small smile back. Then she rested her head on Jack again. Sawyer pointed at the tea. Jack took the glass, it was still warm, and gently, made Kate drink it. He felt Kate's temperature approaching normal temperature as she drank.

Sawyer noticed the improvement and felt he could ask. "Freckles, do you remember what happened this afternoon?"

"Danny tortured me," she said, looking down.

"Katie, Danny is dead, you do not have to worry about him. It was a bad dream, okay?" Jack explained patiently.

"He's alive, Jack." She was crying now. "Why do not you believe me? It was not a dream."

Jack hugged her. "Shhh, calm down, Kate. It's okay." Sawyer approached them both, and hugged Kate as well.

After several minutes, she was almost asleep. Jack put her carefully on the plane seat. He checked her leg and covered it. Then checked the temperature, it was almost normal. As Jack checked every detail, Sawyer stood up.

"Take care of her, Doc. If you need me, I'll be in my tent." He could not bear to see all of Kate's suffering. He left and went to smoke a cigarette to distract himself.

Juliet approached the boy, who was sitting, looking at the sea.

"Can I have one?" She asked, referring to the cigarette.

"Sure, blondie," he said, handing one to her. He lit the cigarette for Juliet.

"You really like her, do not you?"

"Who are you talking about?" Sawyer knew, but he wanted to be sure.

"Kate." Juliet looked at him.

"I'm just worried about her." He did not want to open up with a stranger.

"When you care about someone, you become someone else," she smiled.

"What do you mean?"

"The way you take care of her, it's totally different from the tough guy you look like. It's nice to know that you also have a sensitive side."

Sawyer sighed. "Kate is all I have here." His eyes filled with tears.

Juliet hugged him. "She'll be fine." The rain came down hard, Sawyer was sad, but he felt a little better for not being completely alone at that moment.


	3. The Confession

Jack was very tired. He wanted to sleep, but he was afraid something would happen to Kate during his sleep. He sat there, sometimes feeling his eyes closing, but he could not sleep. Then he heard a weak voice calling out.

"Jack."

It was Kate. He immediately came close to her. "I'm here, Katie."

"Jack, you need to sleep." She spoke, her eyes still swollen, almost closing.

He stroked her face and hair. "I'm going as soon as you go, honey. I want to make sure you're okay."

"I do not want to sleep, Jack, I can not." Her voice was almost a whisper. If Jack had not seen her lips move, he would not have understood.

"I know, Katie, but I'm here with you." It thundered, and that made her wince in terror. "Do you want to lie here with me?" Jack asked her and she nodded.

Jack helped Kate out of the plane seat and lay down where he was. He tried to leave his makeshift mattress as soft as possible for Kate. She lay down and shrank like a ball because of the cold. Jack lay down on Kate's side and put his arm around her, and they stood facing each other, so close they could feel each other's breath. He covered Kate. "Are you comfortable?" He asked.

Kate simply shook her head to say yes. They were so close that her nose touched his. Jack pulled Kate a little closer. Their breaths quickened. Jack felt an immense desire to kiss her, he could feel light touches of Kate's lips on his as they breathed, but he did not want it to happen at a time when she was so frail, like that.

His hands slid down Kate's back over the blanket. "No need to be afraid, okay? I'll take care of you." He said very softly to her, who placed her face on Jack's neck. He ran his hands through her hair until he felt she had finally fallen asleep. Only then did he finally get to sleep.

During the night, when Kate seemed to be having a nightmare, moving around and saying something that Jack could not understand, he would hug her and say in her ear that she was safe. It seemed like this was the perfect medicine to calm her down.

Jack woke up brightly, it must have been six or seven in the morning. He opened his eyes and met Kate's hair covering her face. He gently pushed the strands away with his fingers, and he could see Kate sleeping soundly. He did not want to wake her. He smiled to himself, and at that moment the wind brought the delicious scent of the girl's hair. It was unbelievable how she could smell good even though she lived on that island.

He watched Kate as she slept when she finally opened her eyes, slowly. Jack immediately smiled at her. "Good morning, Katie." She smiled back, still blinking her eyes slowly for sleep. "How was your night?"

"It was better." She answered, her voice weak and still half-hoarse for just waking up.

"No nightmares?"

"I don't know .." She did not remember well.

"It is fine." Jack smiled at her. "What about your leg, can I see it?" Jack asked. She bit her bottom lip in agreement. Jack lifted the blanket and lifted the long shirt Kate wore. She was startled by the doctor's touch and involuntarily took a small leap. "Okay, I'll just look, okay?" She stared at his injured leg.

Jack noted that the stitches were still firm, the place was well swollen and red, but it was normal. When Kate saw the wound, she turned away. It was pretty ugly. "Let's put a bandage on here, okay?" Jack reassured her.

He covered the place with gauze and attached with tape. Jack worried about what he would do when these products ran out. "It's all arranged, Katie." He smiled and got up to put the material back.

Jack had just finished dressing Kate's leg, and Rose invaded the tent with several cut fruit. "I brought this to you, my dear." She said, putting the plate on Kate's lap. "I did not see you eating yesterday."

"Hmm, look who got coffee in bed." Jack bent down and hugged Kate from behind, tickling her. Kate laughed at the joke and began to eat.

"Thank you," she told Rose.

"I want this dish clean, hear me?"

Kate shook her head in agreement. Jack got up, and he and Rose stood outside the tent while Kate ate. Rose wanted to know how Kate was and if he needed any help.

"You're already helping a lot, Rose." He said.

"Jack." He heard a voice calling to him. It was Charlie. The boy was hurrying toward him, running as fast as he could. He took a deep breath as he approached Jack.

"Jack, please, it's Aaron. He can not breathe, he must have choked on something."

"Oh, my God." Rose put her hands to her mouth.

Jack turned to Kate. "Kate, I'll be right back, please do not leave." She felt bad for knowing that Jack would get away from her. It was the only way she felt safe, but she knew Aaron needed more of him now than she did.

"Okay," she agreed, a giant fear taking over her, but Kate did not want to demonstrate.

Sawyer watched as Jack dashed toward Claire's tent and imagined Kate would be alone. He decided to keep the girl company.

Rose watched from a distance what was happening to Aaron. She also knew it was not good to leave Kate alone after the episode the day before. Sawyer approached Rose and knocked on one of the stall holders. "Can I come in?"

"That it's not my tent, you need to ask her owner." She winked at Kate. She smiled.

"Are you watching me, Sawyer?" She asked suspiciously. "Whenever Jack is not around you show up."

"And you're telling me you do not like it?" He challenged.

Kate sighed. She did like when Sawyer was around, in fact he made her feel almost as safe when Jack would. Jack only had more points because she loved him. "I like it." Kate smiled as she still ate the fruit the tent neighbor had given her.

Rose stepped closer to give them more privacy.

"So, what happened to the doctor?" Sawyer asked.

"Aaron choked." Kate answered.

"How about you?" Sawyer looked at her eating mango. Mouth dirty around. He laughed. He gently grabbed Kate's head and wiped the sleeve on Her mouth with his fingers. She had not realized it, and she laughed too, trying to wipe the rest with her bare hands. "What are you doing besides eating fruit?"

"Nothing, I just stay here in this tent .."

"You should take a walk, breathe fresh air," Sawyer said wryly and smiled that she liked so much.

"How, if I still can not walk?" She gave a look as if she said "do not you remember?"

"I could carry you, but after eating so much mango, I no longer know if I can take your weight." He teased and tickled her. Kate laughed. "So what do you say, Freckles?"

"I wish I could walk by myself." She looked down sadly.

"Hey." Sawyer came up to her. He lifted his chin with his hand. "In a few days things will be back to normal, okay?" Kate shook her head, a tear slipped.

Kate saw Jack approaching her tent. It seemed like everything had worked out with Aaron.

"Is everything okay here?" Jack asked looking from Sawyer to Kate. She smiled, saying yes.

"When will she be able to walk, Doc?" Sawyer asked.

"She can try now, she just needs help not to end up forcing the points again." He bent down to stay as tall as Kate was. "Do you want to try?"

"I do." She brightened.

Jack and Sawyer helped the girl to her feet. The doctor held Kate from behind by the waist. Her injured leg was weak, so she supported her weight on the other leg. "Is everything okay, Kate?" He asked her.

"I think so, it only hurts a little." She said.

"A little pain is normal." He reassured her.

Sawyer was a few steps ahead, facing her.

"Can you get to where Sawyer is?" Jack asked.

Kate looked the distance between them. It looked very small. She stretched her healthy leg and took a step, but it was difficult to support her full weight on the injured leg. She felt a pang, and her leg weakened. She shrieked when she almost fell. Jack held her before she went to the ground.

"This is normal, Kate, do not worry, it will hurt a little at first." Jack explained as he turned Kate's body towards him. She buried her face in Jack's chest. "Want to try it one more time?" He asked.

"No ..." She started to cry. "I can not, Jack, I can not."

He hugged Kate, and kissed her hair. Looking down she saw that she was leaning only on her healthy leg. "What happened, Katie?" He carried her so she did not have to worry. He rested her weight on one arm as the other caressed her hair. She had laid her head on his shoulder, and her arms around Jack's neck.

"I can not sleep alone, I can not be alone and I can not even walk alone." She said sobbing, looking at Jack. She felt ashamed and buried her face in Jack's shoulders.

"Hey hey, it's okay." He kissed Kate's cheek. "It happens, Katie." Sawyer approached the two.

"I'm sorry I put you through this, Freckles." He placed his hands on her back, and felt her back move as she cried. He caressed her a little. Her face was still buried in Jack's neck.

"You just tried to help." Jack spoke to comfort the boy, who felt bad for starting with it.

Sawyer walked away while Jack tried to reassure Kate.

He liked her, but he felt that all she wanted was to be with Jackass. And what did they live together, did not that mean anything to Kate? He took off his shirt and jumped into the sea. She closed her eyes and felt the wind. It was the only thing that could distract him from his thoughts. When she decided to return, Juliet was watching him.

"What are you doing, blondie? Analyzing me?" He smiled as he wiped his hair with his shirt.

"I came to see if you were all right." Juliet looked into his eyes.

"Well, I guess you've wasted your time, I'm fine." He said, walking to his tent.

"I do not think so." She said as she followed him.

"And what the hell are you to know how I am?" He stopped, was getting irritated.

"Why do you have to be thick like that, James? I know why. It's because you're trying to hide your frustration and others pay for it." She was serious. And what she said was true, Sawyer had to admit.

He sighed.

"Alright, I'm sorry." His voice was calmer. "I'm really frustrated, but there's nothing anyone can do about it." And he continued on the way to his tent.

"Of course someone can do something about it, YOU can do something about it." She gripped Sawyer's arm. "James, Kate is not in a position to have a relationship right now, do not you see, she needs to recover. If you try to force something, you're just going to be disappointed."

She was right again.

"And what do you want me to do, missy know-it-all? Tell me." Sawyer challenged.

"Do not create expectations, try to be distracted. Let things happen naturally." Juliet said, her voice so calm.

"Well, that's what I'm already doing, blonde." Sawyer sat down and picked up a book to read. "Any other advice to give me?"

"She loves you, James, but she also loves Jack. Someday she'll pick one of you two, no one knows when. "Are you really willing to wait while she jumps from one to the other without any certainty that it's you?" Juliet turned her back and walked away.

Once more she's right. And that hurt in Sawyer.

* * *

Jack walked with her into the woods, knew that she would like to get out of the beach and the sun. When Jack could no longer hear the sound of the sea, or the voices of the survivors at the camp, he sat in a shadow with her. She was calmer now. Jack was silent for a while, with Kate leaning against his chest, and he running his hand through her hair. He finally decided it was time to talk.

"Do you want to talk, Katie?" Jack wanted to know. She shook her head. "Kate, honey, I want to know what's going on in your head." She lifted her face to look at Jack. The green eyes still wet. "I really want to help you, sweetie. But I need to know what happened to you."

He ran his hand over her face.

"I felt a strong pain and I could not walk, Jack. Her voice was a little irritated, holding the cry.

"I'm talking about before, Kate, from when we were caught." Jack was quite clear, he knew Kate had understood.

She lowered her head again. Jack can see the tears dripping onto his arm that embraced Kate. He kissed Kate's head then and squeezed her tightly. He imagined what had happened, but he wanted to be sure. It could not be true. But if it was, he might know better how to act with Kate.

"They hit me .." she said through sobs.

"Did they do anything else with you?" Jack asked carefully, stroking her hair. He was nervous, did not want to hear, could not imagine Kate going through so much suffering.

Katr clasped her hands in Jack's arms. She was shaking, her breath catching. Kate seemed to have a fever now. "He forced me to ..." she cried like she never cried in her life. "I did not want to, Jack, I'm sorry, I did not want to have to, he forced me, I could not get out and ..." Jack's eyes filled with tears. Why had he done this to Kate? Why had he made her remember those horrible things?

He hugged her while they both cried. "It's not your fault, Katie, you did not do anything." She cried so hard it was hard to breathe. "Shh, it's over. You do not have to remember that anymore."

"It was not just him." She was breathing hard.

Cold spilled down Jack's spine. He looked deep into Kate's eyes. "What do you mean?" He did not want to hear.

"Wayne."

"Who's Wayne, Kate? Is it Danny's friend, Ben's friend?" He held Kate's face in alarm.

"My dad." His eyes were red and the tears did not stop. Jack could see the pain she felt. So it was not the first time she had been through it.

"How ..." Jack did not know what to say. "You told your mother, you told the police?" He was paralyzed.

"I told her, but she did not believe me. She almost kicked me out of the house, she did not talk to me for weeks." Kate was inconsolable, and rightly so. Jack felt it was the first time she had spoken of these things to anyone.

He hugged her tightly. I wanted so much to comfort her in some way. He rocked her from side to side, not quite knowing what to say, as he kissed her head. "You'll never get through this again, Katie." He wiped her tears away. "As long as I live, I'll never let anyone hurt you like this or any other way again, okay?"

She began to calm down. Kate trusted Jack, and felt safe with him.

"Jack ..." She looked up at Jack. "Do you think I'm dirty?" She asked, her voice so low that Jack could barely hear.

He lowered his head, so his forehead touched Kate's forehead. His hands held Kate's face and his toes moved affectionately around her face. "Everything I feel for you is still here, honey."

Kate felt sick. She knew that as much as she liked Jack, she had kissed Sawyer when she missed Jack. Was that the bad part she inherited from Wayne? Kate liked Sawyer, she could not deny. But what she felt for Jack was incapable of being compared to any other feeling she had ever had in her life.

Jack's voice brought Kate back from her thoughts.

"You're never going to be dirty, Katie. What happened does not change who you are, it just makes you stronger," he said as he wiped Kate's tears. She hugged him and wished she could stay there forever.

When Kate calmed down, she told some of her story to Jack. How her mother hated her for killing her father. A father she always thought was her stepfather, a man who beat her and her mother, a man she wished she'd never met. Jack felt very close to Kate on hearing of his past. He wished he had known her before, to comfort her since she began to suffer.

Jack wanted so badly that Kate was happy, and he was determined to do so. She deserved so much to be happy.

Jack stayed with Kate sitting in the shade, talking all day. He also told a little of his childhood to her. When they realized it, it was already getting dark.

"Shall we go back to camp, Katie?"

"I think so ... I wish we could keep talking like this every day .." She leaned her head against Jack's shoulder.

"And who said we can not?" He kissed the girl's hair.

"There's always things going on there, you're everyone's Jack when it's there, it's not my Jack," she explained.

Jack understood. He needed to take care of everything when he was in the camp, but those people needed him.

"So I'm going to try harder to spend more time with my Kate, okay?" Jack kissed her lips, and she had no reaction, and she smiled uncomfortably.

He carried her back to the camp. By the time they reached the beach, it was night. Kate saw someone coming into her tent.

"Jack, I just saw someone coming into my tent. There's someone there," she said, scared.

"Did you see? Did you see who it was?"

"He looks like ... Danny." Tears began to roll from her eyes. Her heart was racing.


	4. The Invasion

"Katie, look at me." Jack wiped the Kate's tears and spoke in a paternal voice. "Danny is away from here, maybe he's dead ... okay, honey? It's all right, you do not have to be afraid of anything."

"He's here, Jack, I've seen him, please believe me." She was panicking. "I'm not crazy," she cried.

"You're not crazy, Katie. You're just scared, our brains tease us when we're scared." He stroked her face. "I'll show you how it's not Danny who's there, okay?"

"Jack, please, I do not want to go there, please." Kate tried to control her voice so Danny would not hear it. She was terrified.

"Honey, it's okay, do you trust me?" Jack tried to wipe Kate's tears but they fell faster than he could clean them.

"Jack, please ..." her voice barely quit.

"I'm with you to protect you, sweetie, okay?" He wanted to show Kate that it was all her imagination.

"OK." Kate held Jack's neck so hard he almost felt short of breath as he led her to the tent. Jack entered the tent with Kate and heard a noise. There really was someone there.

It was dark but Kate could see him. Her eyes met his.

The guy ran off as Jack quickly put Kate in the sand and ran after him, shouting for him to stop.

Kate started to feel short of breath.

Sayid saw the movement, and Jack ran after that stranger. He was nearer and jumped on top of him. She held him so Jack could talk to him.

"What's going on, who is this?" Sayid asked.

Jack gripped the stranger on the floor. "Please go see how Kate is," he told Sayid. Turned the guy hard to see his face.

It was Danny.

Jack was out of reaction for a few seconds. When he returned to reality he began to punch Danny.

"What are you doing here?" He bellowed. "What did you do to Kate?" He punched the man without stopping.

* * *

Sayid ran to where Kate was. Sun was trying to make her breathe normal again, Kate was almost out of breath. Kate had her head on Sun's lap.

"Try to stay calm, Kate. Take a slow breath." He tried to help while she cried. "Slowly." He saw that Kate was struggling to calm down, and that started to help.

"Sun, keep reassuring, I need to help Jack." He ran off.

* * *

Jack dabbed in the face of Danny, who was almost out of breath. Sayid pulled Jack off him with much effort. The man remained on the ground. in pain.

"Jack, who is this?" Sayid asked, startled.

"He's one of the Others, he's the reason Kate was bad like that." Jack stepped up to hit the man again, but Sayid stopped him.

"What did you come here to do?" The Arab asked, his voice serious.

"I was kicked out ..." He was in a lot of pain. His face was swollen, and covered with blood. "Ben kicked me out ... I ... needed food." I could not speak.

"Why did you get kicked out?" Sayid asked,

"By .. what I did .. with the girl." He spoke with difficulty.

Jack wanted to kill Danny at that moment. "WHY DID YOU DO THAT TO HER, WHY?" He screamed.

"I do not know ... I was ... having a bad day and she was there, so beautiful ..."

That was too much for Jack. He jumped on top of the man, and punched him again, even stronger. "Were you having a bad day? Can you imagine what she's going through now? How are her days?" Jack's hand was already bleeding, but he would not stop beating.

Sayid touched the doctor's shoulder. "Jack, you're going to kill him." He pulled Jack out of the exile. Jack started to cry like a child.

Sayid lifted Danny, who could barely stand. "If you come back here, you're going to die." And pushed him. The man staggered without strength, his whole face cut, bleeding, but he obeyed.

The Arab hugged Jack. "Are you alright?"

"No .. but I'll." He wiped the tears away. "Thank you."

Sayid nodded and smiled. He put his hand on Jack's shoulder.

The confusion had drawn several glances at Jack, who did not care at all. People were slowly going back to acting normally, while Jack went to see how Kate was.

She was lying on one of the plane seats on the island. Sun was sitting next to her, watching her sleep, running her hand lightly into her hair.

Jack approached. "Is she fine?" He bent down to see her better.

"She fell asleep." Sun smiled. "It looks like you have a fever, but I'm not sure."

"Let me see." Jack put his hand on her forehead. "Yeah, she's a little hot." Jack took a deep breath to calm himself, still agitated. "Sun, I do not even know how to thank you."

"It's all right, Jack, are you okay?" She saw the amount of blood he had in his hands.

"Yes I'm fine." He answered coldly.

"Okay, if you need anything, call me." She smiled suspiciously, and left.

Jack finally stopped to think about what he had done. He almost killed someone, but he did not consider it wrong because of the circumstances. That man had ruined Kate's life. He deserved to die, he deserved it. Jack looked at her, asleep. Why did he doubt her? She felt awful and tears streamed from her eyes.

"I'm sorry, Katie." He kissed Kate's hand. "Please forgive me, I should have believed you." Jack was crying.

Kate woke up. She opened her eyes slowly and saw Jack with his head down, holding his hand and crying. She took her other hand and stroked his head.

"Jack, what happened to you?" She had just woken up and her voice was still weak, but she could not tell that Jack was covered in blood.

He lifted his head and smiled at Kate. "How are you, sweetie?" He barely touched his hand against her so as not to stain her with blood.

"I think I'm fine, my chest is hurting but I think it was because of the lack of air." She settled herself on the bench with some difficulty.

"Lack of breath?"

"When I was frightened to see .. Danny." Her eyes filled with tears. His face lost its calm countenance and became a frightened countenance.

"Honey, I'm sorry I put you through this, but he's never coming back here, Katie. He stroked Kate's face with the back of her hand. "Now you're safe, okay? Really."

The tears that stuck in her eyes streamed down. She hugged Jack, who hugged her back at once.

"He looked into my eyes, Jack." She sobbed. "The way I looked when ..."

"Hey, Katie, do not think about it. It's all right now, you do not have to remember any of that." He kissed Kate's hair, interrupting her. He did not want to hear it, did not want her to remember it.

The sobbing of her drowned Jack's chest. He stroked her back. "I'm sorry I did not believe you." He pressed her against his body. Kate raised her head to look at Jack.

"It's okay," she said. She was still scared.

Jack pressed his forehead to her forehead. Hands on her face. "What I want now is to see you well .. okay?" She replied nodding positively.

Jack led her to his tent. Kate was very quiet, from the way to the moment they arrived. She stared at the flame of fire they had lit to illuminate the tent.

The doctor sat down next to Kate and put his arm around her. "What are you thinking, Katie?" She laid her head on Jack.

"Why did these things happen to me?" Her voice hardly came out. She did not take her eyes off the fire, she was almost crying. "It's not fair, I just want to have a normal life, Jack. But I guess I'll never have it." She cried.

"Kat ... Katie." He stammered. It hurt so much to know that she was right about her life not being fair. Why did she have to go through that? "Come here." He took her, who was crying, in his lap and snuggled her into his arms. His body was so small compared to Jack's hands. "You're going to have a normal life. You're very strong, Katie."

"I thought I was, Jack." She cried. "I tried to forget what Wayne did to me, I really thought I had, but now everything is back again, and much stronger." Jack could barely comprehend what she said about how much she was crying. "It hurts so much, Jack, it hurts everything, my body, my head, and it hurts inside, I feel dead inside." She wiped her own tears. "I can not stand the fact that I'm Wayne's daughter, and I'll always have a part of him in me. I feel like this is a curse, I will never be normal." She sobbed. "All I've been doing these two days is crying, I can not take it anymore, Jack, you must be so tired of me." She lowered her face and tried to hold the cry.

He lifted Kate's face with his hands so she would look at him. She looked at Jack and quickly lowered her face again. "Hey honey, I'll never be tired of you .. okay?" He kissed Kate's head and tucked her into his lap. "No problem crying .. Katie, I love being with you. And if you want me to be around, I'll love being with you."

"I wish I could die," she said quietly, between tears and sobs. Kate felt terrible.

Jack did not want to take what he had heard seriously, but he could not ignore it either. He had to think fast, because he did not know what to say.

"Katie, please look at me." He stroked Kate's hair, the fever seemed to have gotten worse. "Can you do that, sweetie?" He tried again. She lightly lifted her face and looked at the doctor unwillingly. "Hey, I'm going to do whatever it takes to make you feel better. I wonder how much it should hurt, honey, but we're going through this, okay? He kissed her forehead.

Kate lowered her face again. She believed Jack, knew he wanted to help her. But how? She just wanted it all to end. She felt cold, her head hurt, and as much as she felt safe with Jack, she still felt alone. I could not bear to cry any more but at the same time I could not stop. It was too much for Kate. She closed her eyes. Tears ran involuntarily. The only thing she felt was Jack's arms holding her tight.

They heard footsteps walking toward them. Kate did not even open her eyes, instead she hid her face in Jack. She did not want anyone else to see her like that. She wept when she heard Jack's voice.

"Hey, Locke."

"I could not help but hear the fight that happened a few minutes ago. Are you okay, Jack?" Locke sat down in front of them.

"I'm fine, do not worry." Jack shook his head, gave Locke a quick smile.

"And how is Kate?"

The doctor felt the girl cringe. "She ... will be fine, will not she, Kate?" He answered for her, stroking Kate's back.

"I was thinking I could watch her for a while, then you can go clean yourself." Locke smiled. "But only if she's comfortable with that."

"Thank you, Locke, but I do not think ..."

"Jack, be 'll have to change that bandage from her leg sooner or later. Will you do that with your hands covered in blood?"

Locke was right. The blood was dry, but it was still blood. He did not want to cause any infection that would make Kate worse off.

Jack looked down and saw that Kate had not moved. He pulled a lock of hair that made her face even more hidden. "What do you think, Katie? Will you be ok?"


	5. Jack Can't Stay

Kate did not want Jack to leave. That was a truth. She lifted her face and looked at the doctor. He looked so exhausted, he was dirty with blood, sweaty and with dark circles under his eyes. It would be too selfish for her not to even let him bathe.

"I'll be fine." She said, so softly that only Jack heard.

"Are you sure?" He stroked her face, which nodded. Jack smiled at her. Kate thought he looked a little relieved that he could do something for himself. "So let's put you to bed"

Jack got up with Kate, walked a few steps and put a girl on the plane seat. She quickly lay down as Jack covered her and kissed her cheek. "I'll be right back, okay?" He placed his hand over hers.

When he turned to leave the tent, Kate took his hand. "Are you really going back, Jack?" She asked. Jack turned to her and saw that Kate's eyes were filled with tears.

"Hey, sweetheart, of course I'm coming back." He kissed the Kate's hand. "No need to worry, I can not wait to be with you again, it's going to be pretty fast, I promise."

Kate let go of Jack's hand and he hugged her to make sure she was all right. He noticed that the fever was high. "Katie, I can stay if you want."

Tears rolled down her two eyes, she did not want to be selfish like that. "It's okay, it'll be good for you." She took a deep breath to try to control the crying.

"Try to get some sleep, okay? When you realize, I'll be here." Jack gave Kate a long kiss and left.

He left the tent and Locke entered. He realized that when Jack was away, it was impossible for her to continue holding the cry, Kate turned on her stomach and buried her face in the pillow. Locke approached the girl and put his hand on her back.

"Kate, why are you crying?" He asked quietly, but there was no answer. He stroked Kate's back as he spoke and tried again. "Kate, it's okay, it's good to cry, but why are you crying?" She did not know what to answer. "Hey, I know you're having really bad days, I know it's hard, I know you're scared and thinking this will never end ... When things like that happen in our lives, our tendency is to give up Because it hurts, right? We feel the pain and we want to stop feeling. " Kate was beginning to calm down and turned to look at Locke. He smiled at her. "But that will happen. You will see that when you have overcome you will feel so strong and be so proud of yourself." He wiped away the tears streaming down his freckled face. "You're so special, Kate, I can see .. Jack can see, but you also need to see." Locke touched the tip of Kate's nose.

"I am afraid." Her voice came out almost inaudible.

"I know, I know what it's like to be afraid, Kate. But you can not let fear be stronger than you." He smiled. "Just think about it."

The girl was really thinking about what Locke had just said. It seemed not easy as he spoke, but she did not feel special and strong in order to forget all her traumas. Kate turned sideways to try to sleep. It was not easy without Jack's arms protecting her, and not listening to the beating of his heart. How much longer would it take him?

Jack walked toward the caves. He felt so tired that his legs barely obeyed him. His arms ached for carrying Kate several times a day. He really needed to take a shower to relax and regain his strength. He felt weak.

Sawyer and Juliet were on their way back to the camp and Jack saw them coming back the same way he was doing. They were smiling and exchanging several inner jokes.

"Jack, are you okay?" Juliet asked. He was really pale.

"Yes, I am. I'm going to take a shower to sleep."

"You look bad, do you want company to get there?" Juliet was worried.

"No need, I'm .." Jack put his hands to his head, felt a very strong dizziness and fell to the ground.

"Jack!" Juliet cried out in alarm and went to where he fell.

"What the hell was that?" Sawyer went to Jack as well.

"I'm fine .." Jack was trying to get up. "It was just dizziness, but it's over."

"Jack, you're exhausted, you need to rest." She saw that he had dark circles under his eyes and seemed not to sleep well for days.

"I will, do not worry." Jack got up and followed the path he was doing earlier.

Juliet tried to follow him but Sawyer stopped her. "It's no good, blondie. He's too stubborn to listen to anyone."

Jack felt very weak. When he finally reached the caves, he quickly took off his backpack and his clothes and went to the shower. The water was terribly cold, but the feeling of taking all that sweat and blood out of her body was wonderful. He was thinking of coming back soon, how was Kate? He felt his legs weaken, and decided to leave the shower. He put clean clothes in his backpack and put the dirty ones where the clean ones were. He would wash them later.

Jack took his way back to the camp. He wanted to walk faster but could not, felt very tired. He finally saw the camp fire, a little distant but the doctor was glad because "his home" was finally visible. He tried to walk faster, and it worked. He took strength from where he did not even know he had, but when he walked to his tent, he fell again. Right in front of Juliet's tent.

"Jack !" She ran to the doctor. "When will you learn to listen to people? You need to rest."

"Juliet, it's okay, I'm going to my tent now." He said, still half dizzy.

"You're not going anywhere, Jack, you need to sleep." She put her hands on his face so he would stop looking around and look at her.

"I'm going to sleep, but first I need to see how Kate is, she needs me." He could not stand up very well.

"If you want to take care of her, you have to be healthy before, Jack."

"Locke is with her, but they are waiting for me to come back."

"All right, I'm going to ask Sawyer to join her tonight, okay?"

Jack did not like it at all. Sawyer with Kate?

"Juliet, please, I need to see how she is." He asked.

"You do not have conditions, please, Jack. You can not do anything for her like that." Juliet helped Jack get up and took him to her tent. "Stay here, I'll get Sawyer."

Jack did not even have time to say anything, and Juliet was already going to get the boy. He did not know if he felt worse from weakness or from having to watch Sawyer spending the night with Kate and not being able to do anything about it. Jack knew they had kissed already, and done more things besides. He knew that Kate was attracted to Sawyer, and that as she was, they would have to spend the night in arms. He liked to take care of and calm Kate down, did not want to give Sawyer that function.

Juliet came back saying that Sawyer was already going to see if Kate was okay. How it hurt in Jack.

Kate whirled around. He had come to the conclusion that he could only sleep when Jack came back, she needed that hug, that whispering voice in her ear that she was safe. But it had been so long since he had left ... She was cold, in pain, and she missed him.

Locke, seeing that Kate was moving a lot, approached her. "What's wrong, Kate?"

"He's not coming back, is he?" She asked, annoyed. Her eyes threatened to cry again.

Locke covered her and ran a hand through her hair. "Take it easy, Jack said he'd come back."

"She's right, Colonel Kurtz." Sawyer burst into the tent. "Jack can not go back, he almost pass out twice. Juliet sees if he's okay, and she asked me to see how Kate is."

"What?" Locke asked. "What happened to him?" He looked at Kate and saw that she was starting to panic.

"Exhaust probably, he never rests."

Locke put his hands on Kate's face. The fever had increased, and her breathing was much faster. "Sawyer, I think she's having an anxiety attack. Kate, do you remember what I told you?"

Sawyer hugged Kate. She began to cry instantly. Sawyer put her on his legs. With one hand he hugs Kate and with the other he strokes her hair. "It's all right, Freckles. I'm here with you, Locke is here too. You're safe."

"It was my fault, was not it?" She spoke between her sobs. "Jack is sick because of me."

"Of course it was not your fault, Kate." Locke comforted her. "Jack is like that because he does not know when to stop working."

"I'm going for a walk with her, so she can calm down." Sawyer stood with her in his arms.

"It's a great idea." Locke agreed, smiling.

Sawyer walked out with Kate from Jack's tent and began to walk quietly down the beach. The wind was blowing very weak and the weather was very pleasant. The young men approached the sea with Kate. The sound of the waves seemed to calm. "Shhh, calm down and do not cry. You do not have to cry, sweetheart." He slowly went back to the tent as he saw the brunette calm down. Sawyer looked at her, her eyes were heavy, almost closed. It was working.

Arriving in the tent, he realized that Locke had left. He lay down and placed Kate on top of him. He pulled back the blanket to cover her. His arms easily embraced Kate's small body, which snuggled into the embrace. He kissed her hair. "Good night, Freckles."


	6. Sunrise

Jack was having trouble sleeping. He was used to sleeping hugging Kate and now he missed her. He turned, and saw that Juliet was sleeping peacefully a few feet away from him. The urge to leave to go to his own tent was enormous. He knew that there he would wake up several times during the night to wake Kate from his nightmares, but it was better than not sleeping all night, right? Jack felt better. He stood up.

"Jack, what are you doing?" Juliet asked, apparently she was not sleeping then.

"I can not sleep here, Juliet." He said, folding the blanket.

"Are you still worried about Kate?" She asked.

He was worried, but more than that, he was jealous. Jealous of her being with Sawyer now, while it was to be with him.

"Yes, I'm worried. She had a fever." He answered coldly.

"Jack, I'm sure Sawyer can handle this for one night. They're probably already sleeping, do you really want to wake her up?"

The doctor took a deep breath. He sat down.

"You're right. I'll try to stop thinking about it." He lay down and covered himself back. He was upset. Sleeping would make that night go faster. He wanted to meet Kate in the morning.

"It'll be good for you, Jack. Sleep well." She said with the sweet calm of always.

"Thank you too."

Sawyer woke up suddenly in the middle of the night. He awoke scared, it was still dark. Looked around. Where was Kate? He lifted the blankets for her, Nothing. Sawyer hopped desperately out of the tent and his eyes swept the beach searching for her. He finally caught sight of her. What was she doing? She was sitting by the waves.

Sawyer ran toward Kate as fast as he could. She was sitting with her arms on her knees, her head down on her arms.

"Freckles, what are you doing here?" He put his arms around her. Her body was weak, and she was sleepy. She muttered something that Sawyer could not understand. Her eyes were half open and she was burning with fever.

"Come here, let's get you inside." Sawyer lifted Kate to take her back when she started screaming.

"Please, no, leave me alone." Kate cried trying to get back to the ground, but Sawyer held her tight.

"Sweetheart, it's me, Sawyer." He hugged Kate, who was still crying in despair.

"Please, do not do this." Thick tears streamed down her cheeks. Sawyer set her down.

"Honey, look at me. I'm not going to hurt you, okay?" He pulled the hair that had stuck to her face because of the tears.

Kate's heart was beating fast, she looked scared to Sawyer. "Where I am?" She asked in fear. She had woken up.

"You left the tent in the middle of the night, my little one." He was holding her by the shoulders. "You were sleepwalking."

Kate hugged Sawyer, who lifted her into his arms. Her body was shaking with fear. He put a hand behind her head so that she lay on his shoulder and spoke into her ear. "I'll put you back in bed, girl."

Sawyer was going to lie down where Kate had been sleeping before, but she held him tight in her neck. "Can I stay with you? I do not want to be alone." It was difficult for Kate to ask for help, especially Sawyer's. But lately she was learning to overcome her pride more than ever.

"Of course you can, sugarpop. But I'm not going anywhere." Sawyer said looking into Kate's eyes. "Are you alright?"

She rested her head on Sawyer. "I guess so, but my injured leg hurts." Kate complained.

"That's what happens when you run off in the middle of the night." He said in a playful tone tickling Kate. She cringed and laughed. "Let me see that." Sawyer lifted up the giant blouse her wore so he could see the wound. She turned her head away from him. Apparently everything was normal, there was a bandage covering the wound but no sign of recent blood. "It's all right, I believe you're recovering fast. You could barely walk yesterday, and today you went to the other side of the island." He exaggerated on purpose.

Kate smiled at him. Sawyer kissed her forehead.

"Do you remember what happened, sweetie?"

The smile on her face instantly disappeared. "It was a nightmare." Her gaze was distant.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Sawyer wanted Kate to feel comfortable there.

She took a deep breath. "I was a kid in my dream, I was joking, climbing a tree when Danny showed up. He called me, but I did not want to get out of there, I was afraid, so he came after me, pulled me and I fell over I was hurt but there was no one I could call for help. " Her voice began to fail. Sawyer realized that it was difficult for her to talk about it. "I ran as fast as I could, and finally I got rid of him." But then Wayne came and caught me, and he said he was going to give me to Danny because I had not been a good girl. And tried to escape from him, that's when he hit me, and kept beating me .. so I woke up, and you were there. " A tear trickled from her eyes. "When will I stop having these nightmares, Sawyer?"

"Freckles, it have only three days left, three days." He gently held the girl's face by the chin. "You've bumped into Danny Picket twice since we came back, all in three days.

Kate closed her eyes and buried her head in Sawyer's chest.

"You look tired, sweetheart. I'll make you sleep." He put Kate on the bed.

"I do not want to sleep. Why does everyone keep treating me like I'm a baby?" She cried. She felt so incapable of doing anything, and the way they treated her only made her worse. "I think I can decide at least when I go to sleep for myself. I have nightmares when I sleep, it's none of you."

Sawyer was startled by Kate's unexpected reaction.

"Ok ... so what do you want to do if you do not want to sleep, sugarpop?"

"Let's talk." She spoke without thinking.

"Talk about what?" Sawyer held tight to keep from laughing at her.

"About you."

"About me?" He could not stand it and laughed. "What do you want to talk about me, Freckles?"

"Stop laughing at me, Sawyer." She folded her arms, angry.

"I could not resist, you're so cute when you get mad like that." He started tickling Kate.

"Stop it!" She said, but Sawyer would not stop until she started to laugh and screamed. "STOP IT!"

Sawyer immediately covered her mouth with one hand. "You're going to wake everyone up."

"But you started it." She laughed. He stroked Kate's face and smiled.

"I've missed arguing with you, do you believe?"

He lay on his side, looking at her. She turned to face him, too. Sawyer lowered his hand to Kate's waist, which approached her. So many things went through his head at that moment. The things Juliet had told him about Kate earlier, the feeling that was starting to grow for Juliet, the fact that he knew that Kate preferred to be there with Jack instead of him, but he was not thinking straight. What he felt for Kate was strong. And she was there, inches from him.

Sawyer decided to tease. He pulled her closer, and threatened to kiss her. Kate closed her eyes. Their lips met, but he did not kiss her, just passed his lips slowly on hers. He could feel the girl's breathing quicken. Sawyer squeezed her waist and placed her on her back. He was above her, but leaning on his legs and arms to keep from hurting her. He started kissing Kate's cheek and slid down her neck. Kate groaned.

"That's a lot better than talking, huh?" Sawyer whispered in her ear and finally kissed her. His hand rose from her leg to her belly, lifting Jack's t-shirt she was wearing, until he pulled it out. He threw the shirt away. Kate was wearing only a pair of panties now. She shivered.

He continued to kiss her and began to unbutton the shirt he wore when Kate began to cry.

"You are crying?" He immediately stopped everything he was doing.

"I'm sorry, I can not." Kate felt guilty. She did not feel ready or even comfortable to do that. She felt dirty, she felt she was using Sawyer when she missed Jack. She did not want to be like that anymore. And not even with Jack, she felt that she would be able to have so much intimacy. Maybe she could try, but only with him. Flashbacks came to her mind, about Danny and about Wayne. Everything she had surmounted was haunting her once more.

"What happened?" Sawyer tried to understand.

"Please, I can not." She covered her face with her hands.

"Hey, it's okay." He sat down beside her. Sawyer looked for the shirt Kate was wearing but could not find. Quickly he finished taking off his shirt and gave it to the girl. "Here, sweetheart. Get dressed with it." He helped her put on her shirt and buttoned it for her. It was even bigger than Jack's. She was still crying. "You're not being forced to anything, ok? You do not have to do anything you do not want to, Freckles. I'm sorry if I went overboard." Sawyer hugged Kate. Deep down, Sawyer knew that maybe it was Jack, she would not have stopped.

Kate wiped her tears, and Sawyer noticed that the sleeves were so large they covered the girl's hands completely.

"Let's fold this up?" He gently left the sleeves smaller, enough for Kate to use her hands normally. "Much better, eh?" He smiled at Kate.

"I'm sorry I yelled at you." She spoke with a sad look. Saywer was being so patient with her, Kate felt bad that she had treated him badly.

"It's ok, I think I can handle it." He smiled at her. Sawyer saw that it was becoming clear, the day was beginning to dawn. "Hey Freckles, do you want to see the sunrise?"

She shook her head in agreement.

"Then come here, you'll see." Kate approached him, and he made her sit on his lap, her back against his chest. He hugged her from behind and rested his chin on her shoulder. He pointed to where the sun was rising. "Can you see, right there?" He whispered in her ear.

"It's beautiful." She looked in wonder. Kate had not seen the sun rising for so long.

"It is not?" Sawyer was so happy, with that beautiful vision and with Kate there, in his arms.

The minutes that followed were pure silence, where they both forgot their troubles and concentrated their attention right there, on what they saw. So simple but so beautiful.

* * *

Jack woke up. After all, he had slept very well, he had not felt so rested in a long time.

"Are you feeling better?" Jack heard Juilet's voice asking him.

"Much better, thank you."

He stood up, folded the blankets he'd worn during the night, and placed them in the corner of the tent.

"Um ... I think I'm going back to my tent, Juliet."

"Okay, I'll go with you.I need to talk to Sawyer." Juliet stood up.

"Ok, so let's go." Jack put his hand on Juliet's shoulder and they walked together to Jack's tent.

As they approached the tent, they heard laughter. It looked like Sawyer and Kate were having fun. Jack knocked on one of the supporting branches of his tent just to warn them they were coming in.

"Hey, Jack !" Kate smiled broadly at him. Jack bent to hold her.

"What are you wearing, Katie?" He realized it was Sawyer's shirt, but he wanted her to respond.

"Sawyer lent me his shirt."

"Yes, I see." Jack was a little embarrassed.

"So how was your night?" Juliet asked, suspicious when she saw that Jack's shirt that she wore was on the other side of the tent, and Sawyer, was shirtless.

"It was quiet, blondie, but Kate wanted to stay up all night."

"Sweetie, why did you do this? You need sleep to recover." Jack scolded Kate.

"You do not understand, Jack. I had more nightmares, Sawyer found me sleepwalking, walking on the beach, you do not know how scary it was." The smile that Kate had initially had disappeared, and the sad look was back.

"I told you it was not a good idea." Jack said between his teeth, to Juliet.

Sawyer stood up. "Well, if you do not mind, I'm going to bed in my bed. I'm too old to spend the night awake." He kissed Kate's head and left.

"Jack, come here, please." Juliet had left the tent and called Jack outside.

"Wait a minute, Katie." He told Kate and went out to talk to Juliet.


	7. Jealousy Crisis

"Jack, I was thinking ... why did not we take Kate to the village?" She would have everything she needs to recover faster. We could keep her at my house, she would have a home, she could take a shower, she would have real food, she would have the anxiety pills she needs, she might even talk to a psychologist... " Juliet seemed to be serious, but Jack shook his head. "It's not fair to leave her like this when she could have a higher quality in her recovery, Jack."

"Juliet, we can not take her back to the village, did you get crazy? That's where it all happened." They were whispering so Kate would not listen.

"Jack, Danny was kicked out of there, she'll be safer there than here. Ben will not let him in."

"And he's going to let us in?" Jack asked nervously.

"You'll be with me." Juliet tried to remain calm.

"I thought you too had been thrown out of there, Juliet." Jack finished.

She had nothing to talk about. In an attempt to help Kate, she confessed. She had not been kick out, she was working there at the camp for Ben.

"Jack, I ..."

"This conversation is over, Juliet." Jack was stressed.

"At least tell her. Let Kate decide." Juliet asked. Jack turned and entered the tent without speaking a word to her.

"What happened?" Kate asked.

"Nothing, no need to worry. Can I see your leg? It's time to change the bandage."

Kate let the bandage in a way that Jack could remove as he took the necessary supplies. A piece of cotton fell to the floor and Jack bent down to pick it up when he found the T-shirt he had borrowed for Kate tossed in the back of the tent. He took the T-shirt and placed it on the makeshift counter where he kept the materials. Millions of things went through Jack's mind at that moment, but the main thing was that Kate was wearing Sawyer's shirt. He was shirtless when Jack saw him. If it had been a simple change of clothes, his shirt would not be attached to the floor. He made the connection of the facts. He swallowed, and approached Kate with the material in his hand.

He did not even look into Kate's eyes, and began to change the old bandage into a new one.

"Is everything okay, Jack?" Kate noticed the change in his behavior.

"It's healing well, you just have to be careful not to get infected." He explained.

"I'm asking about you."

"Yes, I'm fine, Kate." At that moment she realized that something was wrong, and it was with her. All these days he was not calling her by her name, but by gentle nicknames.

"Jack, you look different. Please tell me what happened." She started to get nervous. Her green eyes filled with tears.

"Kate, you're just tired, try to get some sleep, okay?" He spoke coldly as he helped her to lie down and covered her.

He pulled away and began to fiddle with a medicine box, as if he were arranging them.

"Jack ..." Kate spoke in a tearful voice. He turned to her. "Can I hold your hand until I can sleep?" A tear ran down and it only stopped when it reached the pillow.

"Maybe it's a good time for you to try to sleep alone, Kate. Do not worry, I will not leave here, you're safe." He turned and continued what he was doing.

Kate could not believe what she was hearing. She needed Jack, she needed to feel that he was there when she closed her eyes. She began to cry loudly. She buried her head in the pillow to muffle the sound. She was so afraid. She was afraid to close her eyes, afraid to meet Danny or Wayne in her nightmares, afraid of being alone, afraid of losing Jack. There were so many fears that she simply did not know how to control them all.

"You do not need it, you're not in danger, Kate." He tried to calm her but not to approach. It hurts so much in Jack to see her cry like this, he wanted to go to her and comfort her, to hug her, to snuggle her in his arms as he had done so many times. But it also hurt in him that she and Sawyer were having an affair. He felt Kate did not need him, but Sawyer. Then in his mind it made no sense for him to sleep hugged with her every night because Kate did not love him. He would take care of her, of course. But as a professional, not the special way he was taking care of her by then.

"Jack ... please."

Jack heard Kate's request through the muffled sobbing of his pillow. Tears came to his eyes as well. How hard it was to be watching her suffer. Jack felt terrible, but to him it was the right thing to do.

* * *

Juliet had not given up on the idea of taking Kate to the village. Maybe Jack did not trust her anymore, maybe he was thinking it was a trap, but she really wanted to take Kate there so she would be more likely to recover from her trauma.

She went to Sawyer's tent, where he was already lying down to sleep. Juliet burst into the boy's tent.

"Wow, what are you doing here, blondie?" Sawyer asked.

"I want to talk to you."

"Is it so important that you can not wait until I wake up?" The young man complained.

"Yes is yes." She spoke quickly. "Why did you guys stay awake tonight, James?"

"I told you, Kate did not want to sleep, she was afraid after I found her sleepwalking and walking aimlessly." He was getting impatient, wanted to sleep.

"Did you guys have sex?" She went straight to the point. Sawyer did not believe what he heard.

"So, is that what you want to talk to me about?" Sawyer lay down and covered himself. Juliet pulled the blanket out of him.

"James, I'm talking to you." It was the first time Sawyer had seen Juliet angry.

"Calm down, do I have to explain what I do to you? We have not even kissed yet." Sawyer tried to break the bad mood, but Juliet kept looking serious at him. "Okay, I'll tell you." He gave up. "After I found the girl walking along the beach like a zombie, I brought her back, I put her to sleep and I hugged her so she would calm down. But I'm a man, so I did not resist and I started to kiss her. She was enjoying it, but when I wanted to start heating things up, she started crying, saying that she could not do it, and then I stopped, probably she could not because I'm not Jack. She is so in love with him. " Sawyer blew out.

"James, do you love Kate?" She wanted to know

"Well, tell that I love her may be a little too much, but I really like her, I worry about her." He answered truthfully.

"I have an idea that I think will help her." Juliet told him what she had told Jack earlier, but unlike Jack, Sawyer trusted Juliet, which surprised her. He agreed to take Kate there, but with two conditions. The first was that Kate should choose whether or not she would, and the second was that he needed to sleep before putting the plan into practice. Juliet nodded.

* * *

It was unbearable for Jack to stay there. His head hurt, he just wanted Kate to finally fall asleep. He could not stand hearing her asking for help and doing nothing about it, and he was in the doubt of who was crying more, whether it was him or her.

Juliet bent down to enter the tent. He saw Jack facing the wall, his hands on his face, and Kate lying in bed, crying as never before.

"What's going on here?" She was scared.

Jack, hearing her voice, quickly wiped the tears rolling, and went to the entrance of the tent, taking Juliet with him.

"I'm trying to get her to get used to sleeping alone." Jack explained, his voice low so Kate did not hear.

"Like this?" Juliet could not believe that Jack, that Jack she knew was doing it.

"What would be another way I could do this?" He looked serious at Juliet.

"Little by little, Jack, this way you will not heal her trauma, it will cause one more." She tried to keep her voice low, but it was difficult in that situation.

"And do you think what I was doing worked? I sleep hugged with her every night, but as soon as she gets a chance, she's going to look for Sawyer?" Jack can not hold back tears when he opens up with Juliet.

"So that's what it's all about, I can not believe it." Juliet was puzzled. She walked toward the tent, needed to see how Kate was. "And if you want to know, they did not do anything. Sawyer said she stopped him because she loves you." Juliet entered the tent.

Jack was visibly tormented after this information. Kate had not done anything to Sawyer? Because she loves Jack? The doctor put his hands to his head, began to walk without knowing where he was going. His vision was blurred and his head was spinning. What had he done? He'd made Kate suffer, like Wayne, or Danny, but in a different way. Still, it was a suffering he had caused her. He remembered Kate crying, begging to hold his hand, and he had denied it. Jack went into the woods, he wanted to be alone.

* * *

Juliet approached Kate and laid her in her arms as she would with a child. "Shhhh ... It's okay, honey. It's okay." Kate had a high fever, and she had been crying for so long that there were no more tears falling from her eyes. Her breath was faint and breathless, her sobs so intense that her crying was barely heard. Juliet hugged her tightly.

"Why is he .. doing this .. to me?" Kate asked, crying. Juliet barely understood her.

Juliet ran her hand over her face. "Jack is not well, he's not thinking straight, okay? Soon enough he's coming back and will take care of you, but now he needs some time to get the ideas in place."

Juliet was not sure what to say or what to do. She took a bottle of water and gave Kate a drink, Kate was dehydrated. She took long sips and then burst into tears again.

"Why do not you try to sleep, princess?" She kissed Kate's head, she was sweaty with so much effort she had made crying. "When you wake up, it will all be over."

"I need Jack to sleep." She was really in an anxiety crisis.

"Jack can not be here now, baby. But we can pretend that I am him." It was the only idea Juliet got. "What does he do that helps you sleep?"

"He hugs me and makes me feel safe." Kate's eyes were so swollen that Juliet could barely see them.

"Okay, so let's try this?" Juliet looked confident.

Kate nodded. Juliet helped her to lie down and lay with her. She drew her close to her body and hugged her, with her other hand, stroked Kate's hair, she kissed Kates forehead, and kept her lips pressed there. "Just close your eyes and relax, okay? It'll be all right." She spoke without taking her lips from Kate's forehead.

"Its not working." She cried.

"Shh. Just don't think about it, ok?" Juliet continued to fondle her.

Slowly Kate was falling asleep, and Juliet stood there, not moving at all. She thought what was going on in Jack's mind now. Where would he be. When he would return.

* * *

 ** _PS: I would like to thank all the reviews, they really help me write in a better way for you, guys_** ** _._**

 ** _In one of the reviews someone asked me not to use "the girl" when I refer to Kate. Sorry about that. I'm Brazilian and here we use the noun "girl" even for adult women around the age thirty, I think it's just from the culture._**

 ** _But now it is everything edited. Thanks for the help. (=_**


	8. We're Ready

Jack did not know where he was. His legs had taken him wherever they wanted, without his having control of them. He wanted so much to go back in time, and undo the suffering he had caused in Kate. Tears streamed down every time he remembered Kate's hand stretched out, asking for his help. It was terrible to think about it.

Jack heard a voice calling out to him. It was Kate's voice. He tried to stop thinking about it, his memory was getting very real.

But he heard again, Kate begging for help, he heard very clearly. Jack got up and ran back toward the camp as fast as he could. It did not seem like just a voice coming from his brain playing tricks on him.

* * *

It was close to noon when Rose appeared in Jack's tent looking for him.

Juliet, who was awake, answered the lady.

"Jack is not here, he has not come back yet."

"Oh!" Rose sat down. "I do not think we're officially introduced yet, I'm Rose." She held out her hand.

"Juliet." She shaked hands with her and smiled.

"So, how is she?" Rose asked.

"Well, she's had a hard time without Jack this morning, but now I think she's fine." Juliet was fond of Kate's hair, which was still asleep, her head on Juliet's lap.

Their conversation ended up waking Kate up. She opened her eyes, still blurry and rubbed them. Her head hurt like hell. She looked around and all she saw was Juliet and Rose.

"Where's Jack?" She asked in a tearful voice.

That's when Juliet and Rose realized that she was awake.

"He's not back yet, honey. Jack needs some time to get well, okay?" Juliet replied, running the back of her fingers over Kate's face. "Did you sleep well?"

Kate did not answer Juliet and sat down. She was a little dizzy because her headache was too strong.

Juliet had Kate lean her head on her shoulder, and put her arm around her. Kate hid her face in Juliet because the light made her head hurt even more. Juliet combed Kate's hair with her fingers to the side and that's when she saw how sweaty she was. Sawyer's shirt Kate wore was made of flannel, and the tent was very muffled by the heat of the sun. Plus: Kate still had a fever.

"Honey, you need to cool off, this shirt looks so hot." She soon started to tied Kate's hair in a braid. "Let's change it?"

Kate shook her head. She was not feeling this hot, and her head hurt so much that all she wanted was not to move. She kept her eyes closed, and her head buried in Juliet's shoulder.

"Honey, you're going to be sick, it's too hot." Juliet was worried. She unbuttoned two buttons of her shirt and loosened it. She blew Kate lightly.

Rose got up and opened both sides of the tent, so the wind could circulate in a draft.

"Now we're going to have wind." She said smiling. "Do you want me to bring something to eat?" Rose asked.

"Do you want it, Kate?" Juliet did not understand why Kate did not look at them, but still wanted Kate to join in the conversation as well.

Kate nodded.

"Okay, I'll be right back." Rose got up and took the path to her tent.

"What's wrong, Katie?" Juliet tried to pull her shoulder back in an attempt to get Kate face away and look at her but it did not work. "Do you feel sick?"

"My head.. it hurts so much. The clarity is making it worse" Kate complained.

"It must be a migraine, poor little thing. Just wait here, I'll see the remedies Jack has." Juliet went straight to the doctor's medicine box. She quickly found an aspirin. Kate was sitting with her head down and her hands covering her eyes.

She grabbed a bottle of water and handed it to Kate along with the aspirin. "You'll feel better in a few minutes, okay? Just try to lie down."

"I need to take a bath." Kate said. She felt sticky, sweaty, and dirty.

"We can help you with this as soon as your head stops hurting, okay? But for now try to stay quiet." It was the perfect opportunity for Juliet to talk to Kate about her spending a few days in the village to recover better.

Rose came back with several chopped fruits. "I brought this for you two."

"You're so sweet, Rose." Juliet thanked her and Rose left the fruit plate with her.

At that, Kate sat down, she was starving. With great difficulty, she opened her eyes, her head seemed to explode, but her hunger was still greater than the pain. Juliet set the dish on Kate's lap. "Eating will make you feel better, too."

Kate began to eat, and Juliet thought that moment was appropriate to tell her idea to Kate. She needed to choose the right words. "Katie, if you knew that here on this island there is something like a ... house ... where you could have a soft bed, you could have hot baths, real food ... would you go there?"

Kate stopped eating. "But .. you had it, right? There in the Others' village."

"That's right Honey, I told Sawyer, about taking you there. You could have doctors to take care of you, to get you through all that's going on." Juliet explained.

Kate's eyes filled with tears at the thought of going back to the village. That horrible place where she was tortured, where Danny had done terrible things to her. She did not want to go back.

Juliet noticed the fear in Kate's eyes, but she continued.

"I can assure you that nothing bad will happen to you there, you will be safe." Juliet approached Kate but she drew back, her tears rolling down her cheeks. "Kate, my dear." Juliet tried to get closer to her, who had no way to get back, she was leaning against the wall. Kate realized she had nowhere to go. She was terrified at the thought of someone wanting to take her back to the village. The terror took hold of her.

"JACK!" She screamed as loud as she could, crying desperately.

"Katie, it's okay, it was just an idea .." Juliet tried to hug her, which scared her even more.

"PLEASE!" She cried out in terror. "JACK"

Juliet realized that the only option was to get away from her. The screams drew a crowd of people coming up to see what was happening.

Locke stepped forward and saw Kate curled up in the corner of the tent, crying. Juliet was also frightened by Kate's reaction to her attempt to help.

"What happened?" He asked.

"I dont know, Kate got scared and .." Juliet started to explain and was interrupted.

"What did you do?" Locke, like most of the survivors of the island, did not trust Juliet.

"I was TALKING to her."

Locke approached Kate, and asked her the same question. She cried too much to answer.

"Kate, take a deep breath. It's all right now." He put his hand on her shoulder. "Can you answer me?"

She closed her eyes and let out the air. "Juliet wants me.. to go back.. to the Others' village." The idea was so frightening to her that she had to breathe slowly several times to keep herself in control.

"It's not exactly that, I want it .." Juliet was interrupted again.

"So you invade our camp, pretend to be a friend to take her back as a prisoner?" Locke snapped at Juliet.

"Will you listen to what I have to say?" She was exerting the utmost of her patience.

"I will." A voice came from outside the tent. Juliet and Locke looked in the direction of the voice. Kate recognized at once that it was Jack's voice. "I'll hear you, Juliet." He was panting, still tired of the rush he had made to get there.

"Jack, she's one of the Others." He could not believe Jack still trusted her. "Are you thinking straight?" Locke asked.

"I am, for the first time in days." He entered the tent. "Thank you, Locke, but I need to sort this out. It needs to be me."

Locke opened his mouth as if to say something, but preferred to keep to himself what he wanted to say. He looked at Kate, and at Juliet, and left.

"Jack." Kate's weak, weeping voice called out to him, as if she wanted to draw his attention to her.

He looked at her, she looked so helpless and frightened. He barely remembered how Kate was before she became dependent on him. He wanted so much to help her.

"It's okay, sweetie." He knelt down next to her. "Come here." He hugged her tightly. "Are you alright?"

"I missed you so much." She had tears in her eyes.

"Me too, Katie, me too." Jack wiped her tears and kissed Kate on the cheek.

Juliet felt good to see that scene, but she knew that sooner or later she would have to leave the camp. Those people all hated her now. She turned to leave when Jack called her.

"Juliet."

She stopped. "Jack, I need to get my stuff out before I get kicked out."

"You're not going anywhere," he said. "I think you're right."

"About what?"

"About Kate." Jack smiled.

Juliet turned to him, intrigued. Kate, who was still hugging Jack, tried to get out of his arms. Jack held her tight. Kate's heart soared and she was filled with fear once more. She could not believe it. Was Jack also against her? She remembered how he had treated her that morning.

"Hey, hey, hey. Calm down!" He looked deep into her green eyes as he held her. "Honey, do you trust me?"

Her tears fell. She didnt know anymore. She trusted that Jack of days ago, who promised that she would never abandon her. But in this new Jack, she wasn't sure ... "You did not help me, Jack." She did not want it to be true, but it was. "You left me alone." Kate really felt so alone. Hiccups hindered understanding of the words, but Jack understood.

Jack was devastated. It struck him like a stab. He does had left her alone.

"Juliet, can I meet you at your tent in 5 minutes?" Jack was making a huge effort not to cry. He still held Kate by her hands.

"Of course." She understood perfectly that Jack needed some time alone with Kate.

Jack now had his full attention turned to her. He sat down facing Kate, and realized how hurt she was inside.

"Katie, I need you to forgive me." He started. "I do not know what happened to me." He could not hold back the sobbing. "That was the hardest thing I've ever done in my life." Tears streamed as he spoke. "I was so afraid of losing you, I lost my mind, baby." Kate was crying with him. "I really hope you can forgive me." Jack spoke without even thinking.

What Jack was saying did not make much sense to Kate. But she did not care, it was the first time she had seen him cry. And he was crying because he care about her. Kate hugged Jack suddenly. He pulled her onto his lap and kissed Kate's head. "I'm so sorry for what I did, Katie." She laid her head on Jack's chest. It was so good to be with him again, to feel his embrace, his scent, the comfort only him could gave her. Now she knew he was the same Jack as always.

"I trust you, Jack." She spoke softly and looked at him.

Jack gently kissed her lips as he stroked her face.

"Jack?" Kate called.

"Whatever you want, honey." He smiled at her.

"I really need a shower." She laughed.

"Oh yes! I felt a bad smell, so it comes from you .." He teased her, tucking his face into her neck. He kissed her cheek. Kate laughed.

"That's what the Mr. Clean said." She joked.

"Let's find Juliet and fix it, okay? We both need a shower." Jack touched the tip of her nose with his finger and helped her to her feet.

Kate could walk already, but she still needed support. Jack led her to her tent, helped Kate put some things in her backpack and helped her to Juliet's tent.

"We're ready to go with you." Juliet heard Jack say.


	9. In the Others' Village

Juliet turned. She saw Jack and Kate, holding her at her waist, to help her support herself.

"Kate, are you sure?" Juliet asked her directly. She did not answer, but turned to Jack as if she were asking him to answer for her. "Jack, I do not think she wants to go." Juliet turned and continued to pack her things. She was already tired of it.

"Juliet ..." He stopped himself and took a deep breath. Jack bent down to Kate's height and looked into her eyes. "Kate, honey, we'll just go if you want, okay?"

Kate was still confused. She looked into Jack's eyes from one to the other, not knowing what to say, when she realized that Sawyer was walking toward them.

"Hey, I'm glad you can stand, Freckles." He smiled at her. Sawyer carried his pack on his back. "Ready to go, blondie?"

"Is he going?" Jack asked, not understanding.

"Yes, Sawyer said he would accompany me there. I have no choice but to return." Juliet finally closed the backpack and placed only a strap on one of her shoulders. "So ... are you coming?

Everyone turned to Kate. She felt pressured to decide, and she was out of action.

"Come on, Freckles, do you really want to stay on this beach where you have nothing?" Sawyer tried to cheer her up.

She took a deep breath. "OK." She agreed hesitantly. She did not feel very well about it.

"This is the Kate I know." Sawyer rubbed a hand over her head to give her a coiffure and unwittingly undid the braid Juliet had done to Kate's hair earlier. She tucked her hair behind her ear, timidly.

"This is going to be a long walk," Kate. Jack caressed her face as he spoke. "If you feel tired, or if you feel your leg hurt, let me know, okay?"

She nodded.

They entered the forest. The deeper they were, the darker it became because the trees were dense enough to hide a good deal of sunlight. Juliet walked ahead because she knew the way. Behind her came Jack and Kate, and finally Sawyer came. They were walking for about an hour when Kate began to feel pain.

She did not want to delay them and did not say anything to Jack or any of them. She wanted to go back to being the 'Kate Sawyer said he knew,' so she did not complain, though the pain was almost unbearable. It was getting hard to hide.

"Kate, are you okay?" Jack noticed.

"I am." She said, having difficulty in not showing the pain. Jack looked at her leg. His pants were stained with blood where the wound was. Her eyes were wet.

"Honey, why did not you tell me?" He lifted her. Kate dropped all the weight of her body on Jack. She had made so much effort that by now she had reached her limit. Jack rested her buttocks on his arm, and he put his arm around her. "You did not have to be in pain."

"Is she okay, Doc?" Sawyer worried.

"I think so, she just can not make that much of an effort." Jack answered as he walked, carrying Kate.

They went their way, Jack and Sawyer took turns loading Kate. They took the boat, arrived on the other island and after another two hours walking, they finally arrived at the village.

When Kate began to recognize the place, she squeezed Jack's neck so hard he almost stopped breathing.

"Katie, it's okay, Shhh." Jack tried to pull her arms around his neck a little. He held her tighter to make her feel safe.

"I want to go home, Jack." She said softly, her freckled cheeks already wet with tears.

"It's all right." He tried to calm her down. "Just close your eyes to not see, okay? I'm holding you, we're almost there."

"No, I want to go back to the beach." She cried.

Juliet and Sawyer approached Kate. She was very frightened, but if she kept crying like this, they would draw the attention of many residents to her, which they wanted to avoid.

"Hey, Katie." Juliet spoke quietly in her ear. "Remember the bath you asked for? You'll be able to take a warm shower in two minutes. She kissed Kate's head. "Let's finish this, my dear?"

She closed her eyes. "Count to five," she heard Jack whisper to her as he pressed her to his body.

"One." Kate spoke softly. Her eyes still closed, she only felt Jack's body moving to walk and the wind on her face.

"Two." She heard unfamiliar voices. She hid her face in Jack and covered her ears.

"Three." She felt Jack's hand sliding down her back.

"Four." From the movements he felt Jack seemed to be climbing some steps with her.

"Five." Kate felt Jack's hand on top of hers, unclasping her ears.

"We've arrived, sweetie. You can open your eyes." Jack's voice warned her.

Kate was still afraid, but she opened her eyes. I was a house, the walls light yellow. It looked like a house from the 90s, the furniture simple, but everything was well organized.

"So this is going to be our home for the next few days .." Sawyer said looking around. "That's great." He threw himself on the couch.

Juliet laughed at his attitude, and turned to Kate, who was still on Jack's lap. She put Kate's hair behind her ear. "So, what do you want to eat, Kate?"

"I just want to take a shower .." Kate was not hungry, just wanted to get rid of all the dirt she was.

Jack and Juliet laughed at her desperation to clean herself.

"Okay, a shower. I'll prepare the tub for you." She said, still laughing. "Jack, can you take her there?"

"Of course." He followed Juliet into the bathroom. She turned on the faucet and could see the bathroom filling with smoke. Kate felt so good to know that she was finally going to take a real shower.

"Here's the soap and here's the shampoo, okay?" Juliet showed her. "I'll prepare something for us to eat."

"Thank you, Juliet." Jack thanked her. "Katie, I just want to see how your leg is, and then I'll give you privacy, okay?"

"No, Jack ... I do not want to be alone." She spoke in a tearful voice.

"Do you want me to stay here?" Jack asked. He thought she would like to do it herself.

"You can?" Her cheeks flushed instantly.

"If you want me to stay here, I'll stay, honey." He kissed her forehead. "Can I help you get those pants off?"

She nodded.

Jack sat on the edge of the tub, and put Kate sitting on his leg. He took off her shoes, one by one, and then took off the pants she wore. The wound was ugly, but the stitches were still there.

"We just need to clean it up, okay? It's going to hurt a little bit." Jack picked up a cotton cloth from the counter and soaked it in the tub. Slowly, he walked around the wound slowly, so as not to hurt Kate.

"All right." He smiled at her. Jack saw Kate staring at him, her cheeks still red. "What is it, Katie?"

"Thank you for helping me, Jack. I do not know how I would be if you were not with me." A tear trickled from her eyes.

Jack wiped away the tear and kissed her forehead. "I care about you, baby. You are the most important person in my life now."

What had she just heard? Kate was so happy to hear Jack's words that for a moment she forgot all the sadness she was going through. But before she could say anything, Jack turned to turn off the tap. The bathtub was full.

"It's bath time."

Jack turned so that Kate could take off her clothes and go into the tub. She felt the warm water on her skin, it felt so good. Jack took some shampoo and began to spread it through Kate's hair.

"So what's it like to take a shower in hot water? I do not remember. He asked, laughing.

"Great," she smiled back.

* * *

Sawyer had already turned on the TV.

"Do not you want to watch something? It has not stopped since we arrived." he said.

"It's okay, I only stayed three days without TV, I can take another night." She joked as she finished making a pancake.

Jack left the bathroom with Kate. Her long, clean-looking hair that Juliet and Sawyer hardly recognized.

He helped her sit down at the table.

"Do you want some help, Juliet?" The doctor asked.

"No, thank you, Jack." She thanks. "Go take a shower too, you must be tired."

"I'll be right back, sweetie." He kissed Kate's head. Her hair was still wet.

Juliet set down a plate for Kate to start eating, while Sawyer turned off the TV, helped Juliet set the table and sat down as well.

"Thanks." Kate thanked her.

Jack took a quick shower so as not to make them wait too long, but that did not help. They were all so hungry that they could not wait for Jack to come back.

He sat down at the table and Juliet handed him a plate of pancakes as well. Everyone was already eating.

"So, Jack, I called my psychologist friend. Kate can have an appointment tomorrow morning." Juliet was glad that he had found the time to fit Kate into his day.

"What?" Kate did not seem to like the idea. "I did not ask for it .." She looked from Jack to Juliet, desperate.

Sawyer realized that the situation there would not be good and decided to retire to take a shower.

"Kate, honey, this doctor is very good, he has such a tight schedule and has made an exception for you." Juliet approached her, trying to explain.

"I do not want to go to the psychologist, I do not need this. Why did not you ask me if I wanted to?" Kate started to speak louder and cry. She was angry, felt betrayed.

"Kate, calm down." Jack put his hands in Kate's arms to talk to her, but she tried to dodge him. "It'll be good for you."

"I knew this would happen, I knew I should not have come." Kate was sobbing. "I do not trust her, I knew it was going to be like this." She covered her face with her hands and leaned against the table, crying compulsively.

Jack looked at Juliet. His eyes were wet as well. She put a hand to her head, and rubbed her forehead. She had heard enough.

"Jack, you can handle it, right? Because I can not, sorry." She turned and went to the porch of the house. Jack could see Juliet wiping some tears before she left the door.

He turned his eyes to Kate. His face covered, hidden in the arms that were resting on the table. Jack pulled his chair closer to Kate. He stroked her hair.

"Katie, it's not like that. Juliet is struggling because she cares about you." He ran his hand over her back. "We have to be careful what we say, you hurt her." Kate lifted her face to look at Jack. Tears streamed down her face. "I understand you're angry, sad, upset, but she really did not want to leave you like this."

"So you're on her side now?" She asked in a tearful voice. Kate felt even more betrayed.

"There's no such thing as choosing a side, baby. Come here." Jack made Kate sit on his lap. She instinctively hugged him and laid her head on his shoulder. "We're all on your side, okay? It's the only side that exists." He picked up a clean napkin that lay on the table and wiped her freckled face. Kate was calming down.

"I'm sorry, Jack." She asked.

"It's all right." He kissed her forehead. He noticed that the temperature was a bit high. Whenever she despaired, the temperature rose. He knew that, it was an emotional fever. It was necessary to calm down to stop the fever. "Are you ready for bed, Katie?"

Kate nodded and hugged him. Jack realized that she wanted him to carry her.

"Oh, so the little lady wants me to carry her to bed, huh?" He tickled Kate.

She laughed and took hold of Jack, who walked her into the bedroom and laid her on the bed. The room was neat enough for two people to sleep there. Juliet had changed the sheets and left them ready for them."Will you stay here with me, Jack?" She asked, holding his hand.

Jack wanted to talk to Juliet, to see if she was all right, but realized he would have to do it after Kate slept.

"Of course I will, my baby." He covered her and lay down beside her.

Kate quickly snuggled into his chest. The bed was so soft and she was so tired.

"Good night, Jack." She kissed his cheek.

"Good night, sweetie." Jack wanted to talk to Kate about the psychologist. That was important, was one of the main reasons why they were there.

"Katie.." He started. But he got no answer. She was already asleep. Jack knew how hard it was for her to sleep, and she felt sorry for having to wake her up. He decided to let her sleep and talk to her the next day.

* * *

When he realized that Kate slept soundly, Jack could walk out onto the porch to see how Juliet was.

He saw her sitting in the hammock, swinging slowly, staring at the horizon.

"Are you alright?" He asked.

Juliet noticed Jack's presence. "I do not know what to do for her to know that I only want her sake."

"She knows that, Juliet." Jack sat on the floor, leaning against the wall. "She's just scared. It's being difficult for her."

"Did you guys convince her?" Sawyer approached, drying his hair in a towel.

"Not yet." Jack answered. "I did not touch the subject.

"Tomorrow morning will be very difficult." Sawyer concluded.

It was not long before Kate fell asleep, and Jack could walk out onto the porch to see how Juliet was.

He saw her sitting in the hammock, swinging slowly, staring at the horizon.

"Are you alright?" He asked.

Juliet noticed Jack's presence. "I do not know what to do for her to know that I only want her sake."

"She knows that, Juliet." Jack sat on the floor, leaning against the wall. "She's just scared. It's being difficult for her."

"Did you convince her?" Sawyer approached, drying his hair in a towel.

"Not yet." Jack answered. "I did not brought the subject back."

"Tomorrow morning will be very difficult." Sawyer concluded.

Jack got up and went back to bed. When he lay down, he felt Kate stirring, wanting to wake up. He brought her close to him, which immediately made her fall asleep again.

* * *

Juliet and Sawyer spent some time on the porch.

"Are you worried about tomorrow?" He asked her, as she sat in the hammock.

"I do not know if I care so much anymore, James. I know it's hard for her, but she needs to try and help herself too."

"Kate is very stubborn. If she does not want something, she will not do it." Sawyer explained. He already knew Kate very well.

"So she's just like you?" Juliet joked.

"Oh, come on, blondie, I'm not even half as stubborn as she is." He snapped.

"James, did you think about what I told you? That day at the beach?" Juliet looked into Sawyer's eyes. She was beginning to fall in love with him.

"Yes, I thought, and I think you were right, no one can wait forever, right?" Sawyer was also starting to fall in love with Juliet, but he still looked at Kate in a special way.

"No one." Juliet was referring to herself. She knew how he felt.


	10. A Dreamcatcher

It was nearly six in the morning, and Jack was already awake. He watched Kate asleep. It was one of the few moments when her face relaxed, her heart quieted, and she seemed calm. Her head rested on Jack's chest, and one of her legs was over his leg.

Jack folded the pillow behind his head and settled on it to stay a little steeper. He also arranged for Kate to continue sleeping comfortably despite the fever. He noticed that now her eyes were moving underneath her eyelids, she was dreaming. Kate stirred a little, and Jack pressed her hard against his body. "Shhh." Her breathing began to accelerate and she woke with a jump. She noticed that Jack was there and looked at him, startled.

"Jack, I ... I ..." She started.

"Did you have a nightmare?" He made her lie down again, as she was before, and kissed her head.

"I did," she replied, almost crying.

Jack snuggled her into his arms. "It's over, sweetie, it's over."

"When will this really end, Jack? When will I stop having these nightmares?" She had a tearful voice.

Jack knew that to stop it, Kate needed to be treated. He did not know if she would need any sleeping pills, but she needed to talk to a professional at the very least, and he could tell her what to do.

"Honey." Jack paused a little to pick the words out. "Remember yesterday when we told you about the psychologist?"

Kate started to cry. She got up and sat on the bed. "Jack, I do not want to, please .."

He sat down, too, and took Kate's hands.

"Can I ask why you do not want to, Katie?" Jack tried to be as understanding as possible,

"Because I'm scared." She cried.

"He's a doctor, honey." He stroked her face. "He is not going to hurt you."

"I'm not afraid of him, Jack. I'm afraid of what he can say to me." Kate let it out.

"What do you think he's going to tell you?" Jack wanted to understand what was going on in her mind.

"I do not know, that I'm going to live like this forever, that he can not help me."

Jack finally understood. "Katie, come here." She came closer to Jack and he hugged her. "I'm sure he will not tell you any of this."

"How do you know?" She was still in tears.

"I know because I'm a doctor, we know when someone can get over a problem, and you sweetie ..." He touched the tip of Kate's nose. "... you definitely will not be like this forever." He smiled.

"Are you sure?" She sniffed. Kate blindly trusted Jack.

"Yes I'm sure." Jack was still smiling at her, he wanted to calm her down.

Kate lay on his chest and closed her eyes. Jack put his arms around her. "I love you, Katie." He whispered in her ear.

She was already sleepy, and did not quite understand the meaning of the words that Jack had just said, but she answered.

"I love you, Jack."

* * *

Jack woke up with a knock on the door. It was Juliet, who opened the door quietly.

"Oh, I'm sorry I woke you up."

"No problem." Jack stretched. "What time is it?"

"It's almost nine." She said. "Kate's appointment with Dr. Scott is half past nine. Do you think I'll call him to cancel?"

"No, she is coming." Jack smiled.

Juliet looked at Jack suspiciously. "What?"

"That's what you heard." He was still smiling.

"Jack, that's great!" She smiled with him. "You guys should get up for breakfast, Sawyer is already there."

"Sure, thank you for letting us know, Juliet. Just let me wake up Kate and in a minute we'll be there."

"OK." She smiled and closed the door.

Jack kissed Kate's forehead and shook her a little. "It's time to get up, baby." He ran his hand over her face.

Kate slowly opened her eyes, and smiled when she saw Jack looking at her. "Hi..."

"Good morning, sweetie." He kissed her forehead again. "Juliet's calling us for breakfast."

Kate closed her eyes again. "Just five more minutes." She asked, snuggling into Jack again.

"I wish I could have another five minutes holding you like this, but we have to get up, okay?" He made her sit down.

Kate rubbed her eyes. "I'm still tired, Jack." She complained.

"You can sleep more when we get back, okay, baby?" He stood and gave her a hand to hold.

Kate held Jack's hand but leaned her head on his shoulder as they walked into the kitchen. Jack wrapped his arm around her, gripping her waist.

"Look who showed up." Sawyer spoke in his playful playful voice. "Good morning, Freckles." Good morning, Doc. "Jack nodded to Sawyer, but Kate did not respond," There's someone who's still sleeping here at the table "

Kate ignored the comment and sat down. She was not exactly in the mood for jokes.

"Yeah, she's still sleepy." Jack said smiling at Kate.

Juliet had made creamed eggs on toast. They served each other when she decided to tell them.

"Ben wants to see you tonight. He'll probably apologize for what happened." Juliet said. "I do not think it will be long."

"Do we need to find him somewhere?" Jack asked as he pouted the food.

"No, he'll come here." Juliet explained.

They heard the phone ring. The owner of the house answered. Jack, Kate, and Sawyer could hear some of the conversation.

"Hello" ... "Yes, everything is fine here." ... "Oh, that was very kind of you. I'll give her the message." ... "OK Bye."

Juliet came back to sit down at the table.

"It was Dr. Scott. He said he's very anxious to meet you, Kate, and he's prepared something for you." She was smiling.

Kate looked at Jack, a little concerned that she was really going to that appointment.

"I think you'll like him, my dear." Juliet finished, realizing that Kate did not want to talk about it.

Sawyer was only analyzing the situation. He was holding himself on to make no remarks that would hurt Kate.

"Let's go then? In a few minutes, it's your medical appointment, sweetheart." Jack glanced at his watch on the refrigerator.

"I ... I do not have any clean clothes to wear." Kate spoke, hoping they would let her postpone the appointment.

"You can use mine, darling." She heard Juliet say. "They're in the closet, you can get whatever you want."

Kate had no way out.

"Do you need help getting changed, Katie?" Jack asked her. She nodded.

He helped her up and led her into the bedroom. Closed the door.

"Jack, I'm not ready for this, please, let's set it up for another day." She begged, tears in her eyes.

Jack bent down to speak to Kate, who was sitting on the bed. "Honey, the sooner you go, the sooner it's over. Just relax, okay?" He stroked her face. "Come on, let's choose a outfit."

* * *

Kate changed her clothes and she and Jack went outside.

"Are you sure I do not have to go along to show you the way?" Juliet asked.

"It's all right, Juliet, it's not a very big village." He joked.

"OK good luck." She wished.

Jack was right, it was not too difficult to find Dr. Scott's office, they had been walking for less than five minutes when they spotted the sign that read "Dr. Erik Scott - Psychology."

Kate was very nervous when she and Jack sat at the reception waiting to be called. She was breathing in an uncoordinated way, her hands clasped together. Jack hugged her. "It's okay, sweetie."

A door in the back of the room opened and a skin, gray-haired, tall man at about the age of fifty walked toward Jack and Kate.

He crouched in front of her. "So you're Kate Austen?" The smile with the teeth a little yellowish and dry lips. "Juliet told me so much about you." He turned to Jack. "And you must be Jack, right?

He looked nice, there was no denying it. But the fear of talking about her life to an unknown person, the fear of being judged was still there.

"So let's go in. My room is right up there." He stood up and pointed to the open door.

Kate froze. She held tight to Jack's hand. She did not want to go. Jack helped her to her feet.

"Are you ready, baby?" He asked.

Kate shook her head. She began to cry with nervousness. Jack lifted her head with one hand on her chin, gently. "Hey, it's okay." She did not stop crying, so Jack hugged her. "I'm sorry, Doctor." He told Dr. Scott.

"Do not worry, it's completely normal." He stroked Kate's hair. "It's all new to her, we're afraid of the unknown." Dr. Scott ducked to the height of Kate, who hugged Jack and wept big tears, and spoke softly. "If you feel more comfortable, you can take him with you, no problem." He pointed at Jack.

"Can I?" She began to calm down, and wiped her own eyes.

"Sure, Kate, why not?" He still kept smiling. "Come on, I have something to you, missie ."

Jack walked with Kate into the room the doctor had pointed out. It was a reasonably large room, very bright. The windows had large pearly curtains that almost touched the floor, which was all covered by a very thick carpet. In one corner of the room, an office desk filled with note papers. In the other corner, there was an armchair and a larger sofa, both dark with some pillows on top. Beside the armchair was a small table with a lamp and a small box with a red ribbon bow.

"You can sit there." Dr Scott showed the couches. "Feel at home."

Jack led Kate to the sofa, holding her waist. She was still nervous, and squeezed Jack's arm tightly. They sat down and Jack put his arm around her.

Dr. Scott took some papers on the table and a pen, and sat down in the armchair, facing them.

"So, Kate, Jack ..." He rolled his eyes from one to the other. "This is going to be just a conversation, okay? I'm going to ask you a few questions, young lady, and if you do not feel good to respond, just say: Dr. Scott, I do not want to talk about it or I'm not ready for it. So we do not talk about it anymore, okay? "

Kate nodded. He did not seem to be the type to judge her, but she still did not feel comfortable talking about her life to him. She laid her head on Jack's shoulder.

"Perfect." He took the box with a red bow that was on the table and left in his hands. "Kate, I heard some nightmares are bothering you .. is it true, dear?"

"Yes .." She spoke softly.

"Is it always the same nightmare?" He asked.

"Sometimes .. but almost always different."

"And when you wake up, what's the feeling you have?" Dr. Scott was making some notes.

"I'm afraid .. because they're very real." Kate spoke almost whispering.

"Do you do anything to try to stop them from happening, Kate?"

"Yes." Her eyes went wet. "I try not to think about it and I ask Jack to sleep with me, but they keep coming back." Jack slid a hand down her arm to stroke her.

"I have something for you to try, maybe it will help." He handed the gift box to Kate. She picked it up and stared. "You can open it, it's yours." He encouraged.

Kate pulled the ribbon from her bow and opened the box. Inside was a kind of amulet. It was a circle with several threads running through it, and a feather hanging from the end.

"Do you know what this is?" He smiled.

"A dreamcatcher?" Kate asked.

"Perfect! Do you know how it works?" Dr. Scott quietly crouched in front of Kate.

"Not exactly ..." Kate was not the kind of person to believe in such things.

"A dreamcatcher serves to confuse dreams." He was looking at Kate. "You know the night air is full of them, there are good dreams and the bad ones." When a dream tries to get into someone, and there is a dreamcatcher in the room, he is automatically attracted to it. Scott showed with his fingers. "They make dreams confuse a little, good dreams can pass and descend through the feather to the dreamer's head, but the bad dreams, well, they are kind of dummies, so they become trapped and disappear in the light of day."

"This is for real?" Kate wanted it to really work, but it sounded pretty fanciful to her.

"If you believe it works, it really works, Kate." He smiled at her and sat down in his armchair.

Kate kept looking at the dreamcatcher she had just won.

"About your nightmares, my dear, what scares you the most about them?" The psychologist asked again.

"Hmm .." Kate put the dreamcatcher in the little box. "..the people who are in them."

"Can you tell me who they are?"

"Danny, Wayne and my mother." Kate was no longer willing to answer any questions, but Jack was there. She did not want him to find her weak because she could not reach a doctor. Her eyes filled with tears again.

"Why do they scare you, Kate? What do they do during your nightmare?" Dr. Scott knew that maybe Kate would not answer these questions in the first session. But he needed to know her edge.

"Because .." A tear trickled down. Kate looked at Jack for help. "... my mother .. I ask her for help but she ignores me and .." Jack was looking at Kate encouraging her to continue, but it was really difficult for her to talk about those things. "..Wayne and Danny, they .." Kate's breath quickened, it was apparent she was not well. "... they hurt me in various ways." She tried to continue, tried to be strong, but it hurt so much, talk about her past, her present. Kate was shaking.

Kate could not do it anymore. She began to cry wildly.

Jack pulled her closer and kissed her head. "Shh Katie, it's just a few questions. I know it's hard, but it's okay. It's okay, sweetie."

"I wanna go home." She spoke softly through her sobs.

"Hey baby," Jack tried to wipe away her tears, but they kept falling. "... will not you finish talking to the doctor?"

"Please, I want to go home ..." she demanded, hiding her face in Jack's chest.

Dr. Scott knew it was time to stop, maybe he'd gone a little further than he should.

"It's okay, let's not push her anymore. It's enough for today." Dr. Scott set his notes aside. "But she was great. She did exactly what she needed to do. That's the purpose of talking about what happened, Kate. At first, it hurts like it's happening again, right? But as time goes by, talking about it here will not hurt you anymore, my dear. But do not worry, everyone has their own time, and we will respect yours. "

"Do you think it'll be long until she's all right?" Jack lifted Kate and placed her on his lap, still in tears.

"She's doing great considering everything that happened." He really thought she was doing very well. "There are cases you would not believe, my friend. Some people can not even get out of bed. It's pretty sad, you know."

"Well, I'm so glad she's doing well." Jack smiled, and straightened Kate in his arms. "Hmm, doctor, is there anything we can do to help her even more?" He wanted Kate so much better soon.

"Jack, I think she needs to get distracted by doing things she likes, she needs to relax. And for you people who live with her, just do not force her to do anything unless it's extremely necessary. She's having a fever, or shortness of breath when is it in crisis? "

"Fever." Jack answered.

"Emotional Fever." He realized. "I'm going to give Kate these pills, it's a very mild tranquilizer, but just give it to her when she can not calm down any other way. I'm not going to prescribe anxiety pills because I believe she can deal with it only with our help."

"Okay, great. Thank you very much, Dr. Scott." Jack got up, and continued to hold Kate in his lap. She still had her face hidden in Jack. She had listened to all this talk despite crying. If they thought she would go back there, they were very wrong.

"You're welcome." He squeezed Jack's hand to say goodbye. "And I'm sorry, little lady. I promise this will all be beneficial, okay?" He stroked Kate's hair, since she had not looked at him. "Do not forget your gift." He handed the box with the dreamcatcher to Jack.

He went out with Kate from doctor's office. She still had her face buried in Jack.

"Did you hear what he said, Katie?" Jack was trying to start a conversation. "He said you look great. I told you, baby."

"I do not want to go back, Jack." He heard Kate's muffled voice answer.

Jack stopped walking. "But ... Kate." He set her down on the floor and gently took her head with her hands, so that she would look at him. "Look at me honey, he'll help you."

"If he said I'm okay why do I have to go back there?" She sobbed.

"Because you can get even better, sweetie. You'll feel good climbing the trees again, picking fruit, not depending on anyone, you will not be afraid all the time anymore." He tried to explain to her.

"You want me to be good so I can do things on my own and you spend time with Juliet again, right?" The tears kept falling.

"Kate, baby." He tried to hug her and Kate tried to get out of the hug, but Jack was stronger. "Hey, I love spending time with you, but I want you to have the freedom to choose whether you want to do things by yourself or with me or any other ." He looked into her large green eyes, already red from crying. "I want you to have the chance to choose, Katie. You don't have it now."

She was still staring at him, crying but saying nothing.

"Awn, come here." He lifted her and rested her buttocks on one of his arms. Kate hugged his neck and put her legs around him. "I just can't see you sad like that, Katie, that's all."

Kate was emotionally exhausted.

Jack looked up at the sky and saw that it was dark. Suddenly it started to rain. It was thin and weak, but it was enough to wet them. Jack ran with Kate home before they were flooded. After a few minutes they finally arrived.

Sawyer was lying on his back fixing the sink that was clogged, while Juliet was standing beside him, reaching for the necessary tools.

"Oh, they came back." Juliet smiled. "How was it?"

"I'll tell you later, Juliet." Jack motioned to her that it had not been very good. "I'm going to take Kate to bed."

"OK." Juliet was a bit worried.

Jack went into the bedroom with Kate in his arms. He sat with her on the bed.

"Let's take off those wet clothes, baby?" He said close to her ear. Jack tried to be as caring as possible.

She had her head on his shoulder, sleepy. Jack took off her cardigan, pants and shoes one by one and helped her to put a dry shirt and a sleeping shorts. Gently laid her on the bed. He pulled a chair closer to the bed and sat there as he covered her. "Are you comfortable, Katie?" He caressed her face.

Kate nodded.

"Jack .." She spoke softly.

"I'm here."

"Can you hang the dreamcatcher here next to me?" She asked.

Jack was surprised. From Kate's reaction, he thought she hated everything related to that query, but he did what she have asked him.

"Of course baby." He picked up the dreamcatcher and tied it to a nail that was already there on the wall.

"Thanks." She snuggled in the bed.

Jack kissed Kate's cheek and stood there, stroking her back until she fell asleep.

* * *

Jack slowly closed the room's door to make no noise and went to the kitchen."She is sleeping." He sat at the table. Juliet and Sawyer were drinking juice.

"So, how was the consultation?" Juliet wanted to know.

"It started well, but when he began to delve into the questions, she panicked." Jack picked up a glass and poured himself juice. He took a sip. "Now she does not want to come back."

"Stubborn, that's what I said." Sawyer commented, laughing.

"James, it's not funny." Juliet returned it. "She needs to get back."

"Dr. Scott said she's not so bad because of everything that happened." Jack completed. "But yes, it would be great if she had medical follow-up."

"Is not she so bad?" Sawyer was outraged. "He saw her as she was before? She is not well, she is far from being well."

"James, please speak lower." Juliet did not want Kate to wake up while they talked about her.

"I'm sorry, but ..." He almost forgot to lower his voice. "..but she's not okay." Suddenly they heard the door open. It was Kate. She was standing in the hallway, in tears, but not moving or making a sound. Jack ran to her and hugged her. She was all wet.

"What happened, baby?"

Juliet and Sawyer looked startled at Kate.

"Someone ... went into the room." She was paralyzed.

"What?"

Sawyer ran to the bedroom, Juliet was right behind him. They saw that the window was open, the rain pouring into the room and wetting the bed where Kate was. Dirty sheets with earthen tracks that came down to the floor. But nobody was there.

"Did you see who it was, Freckles?" Sawyer asked.


	11. What Do They Want?

Kate did not answer. She was still staring blankly.

"Freckles?" Sawyer tried again.

She fainted. Jack managed to hold her before she fell to the floor. He laid her down right there and lightly slapped her face.

"Katie, Katie, Katie, can you hear me?" He tried to wake her.

Sawyer looked out the window, looking for the guy who had invaded the room.

"I think it's been longer since he came in here, look how wet the bed is." Juliet noted. She bent down to see how Jack was going with Kate while Sawyer jumped out the window to find someone, and closed it on the other side.

Kate was opening her eyes, she was shaking with cold.

"Can you hear me, Katie?" Jack repeated, but she was still stunned. He took her in his arms and sat down with her on the couch. He hugged her to try to warm her up, but it was not working. She was drenched in rainwater, her lips starting to turn purple.

"Juliet, can you bring a blanket, please?" He asked.

"Sure, Jack."

As Juliet searched for what Jack had asked for, he took the T-shirt Kate wore, which was soaked. He laid her in his arms and pressed most of her trunk into him so she could warm up with the warmth of Jack's body. "We'll let you warm again, okay, baby?"

Juliet covered her with a thick, dark-blue blanket, and wiped Kate's hair, which dripped with drops of water, with a towel. "I'll bring you a hot chocolate, sweetheart." She kissed Kate's head and Jack snuggled her in.

Sawyer came in through the front door, all wet too. "I did not find the bastard."

"He's gone, James." Juliet put the towel on Sawyer's shoulders, who sat down on the couch. "After that time it will be impossible to know who it was." She spoke as she walked to the stove, where she was heating milk.

"Well, I do not care who it was, I'm coming back with Kate to the camp as soon as the rain passes." Jack was determined.

"Jack, it's not safe, you're not thinking straight." Juliet mixed the chocolate in the hot milk and sat down on the other couch.

"And what's safe, Juliet? Stay here, expect Kate to be attacked again?" Jack's voice came out loud. He did not understand Juliet's logic. "I do not know how nothing worse happened today, but I'm not going to stand here expecting it to happen next time."

That's when Kate started to get back to reality and to hear Jack was saying. Had she been attacked? Would you have a next time? She burst into tears and was still shaking.

It was when Jack realized what he had said, he did not know she was aware.

"Katie, I'm sorry." He tucked her into his lap. He put a hand behind her head and hugged her. "What I was trying to say is that we're going to keep you safe, okay?" Jack looked into her eyes, he could see the fear that existed inside them.

"They'll keep coming back, will not they, Jack? Will they ever stop?" Hiccups hindered her from speaking the words clearly.

"If they come back, we will not let them get close to you, sweetheart." Sawyer approached her. "No one will come near you."

Juliet also approached. "Take that, honey, it'll make you feel better." She handed Kate a cup of hot chocolate.

She reached for the glass, and the blanket slipped a little. Jack held it so she could stay covered, and he saw a purple mark on the fold of Kate's arm.

"Honey, what is this?" Jack asked.

Kate looked at her arm. "I ... I do not know .." Her eyes were still damp.

"Let me see that, Katie." He reached out and took a closer look. It was a blood-sucking hematoma. Had the person who entered Kate's room come to collect her blood? He tried to disguise what he had just noticed. He did not want to say anything that would make Kate panic again.

"So, what is this stain, Doc?" Sawyer asked. Kate was already worried about what he might say. Jack noticed and decided not to say anything.

"She probably hit her arm somewhere." He smiled at her. "Do not worry, okay?" He took the glass Juliet still held and handed it to Kate.

"Jack ..." He heard Juliet's voice calling to him. "... you should stay."

"We talked about this later, okay?" He finished the subject.

Silence took over. It was only broken by the sound of Kate drinking hot milk. Jack wanted to tell Juliet and Sawyer about the mark on Kate's arm, but he could not while she could hear. He did not want to cause her any more fear or insecurity, everything she was living was more than enough.

Kate finished drinking and Juliet took the glass from her hands.

She lay on his chest, as it had been before, and he covered her uncovered shoulders with the blanket.

"Feeling better, baby?" Jack asked.

"I do not know." She spoke almost in a whisper. Kate was still tired, had not slept more than twenty minutes before the room was invaded. She wiped her runny nose and still shivered a little.

"Do you want something, something that might make you better?" Jack asked as he pulled a few strands of hair from her face.

"I want you." The tearful voice struck Jack. He had left her alone in the room when it happened. The tears in her eyes made him realize that she was afraid he would leave her again. And now it was not just a fear she needed to overcome, it was a real fear, that even he had. A giant fear that they would hurt Kate anyway.

Jack pressed her against him. "It's all right, sweetie. I'm here, holding you." He shook her a little to emphasize the fact that she was in his arms. "And I will not leave you, I promise."

That hurt a little on Sawyer. As much as he already liked Juliet, it hurt his pride a little. He was also struggling to help Kate, but with the doctor next to her 24 hours a day, he was unable to show how he could protect her.

"James, can you help me with something?" He left his thoughts at the sound of Juliet's voice.

"Sure, whatever you want, blondie."

They went to the room where Juliet used to sleep.

"Are you alright?" She had noticed something different,

"Yes I'm fine." He disguised it. "So you called me into the bedroom, just the two of us .. what do you want me to do?" He made a cheeky face.

"James!" She laughed. "I want you to help me bring the other bed here and turn the mattress that's wet."

"What's this for?" Sawyer was confused.

"We're all going to sleep in the same room, it's safer." She explained.

"So you and I are going to share the bed?" He gave the same cheesy grin as before.

"Stop this." She slapped Sawyer on the chest and laughed. She was embarrassed, but enjoying the joke.

"Look, I'm really excited for that to happen, but Jack wants to get Kate out of here."

"He will not .." She was thoughtful. "If they did not hesitate to invade a house in a village full of people, what are they going to do with him and her alone walking in the middle of the forest?" Ben will come tonight, he can set up a guard in the village if we tell him what It happened."

"Are you going to tell Jack that?"

"Yes, but I need a moment alone with him." Juliet was right. Jack was not going to talk about it in front of Kate.

"So let's do this."

Sawyer and Juliet with some effort, managed to put the two beds in the same room, was tight, but cozy. They turned the mattress so that the wet part would stay down and change the bedding. Now they just had to convince Jack.

He was still in the living room, Kate covered with the big blue blanket. The chills had not yet fully passed. Jack tried to make her stop, but Kate was already warm. He wondered why she was still shaking.

Juliet crouched in front of them, and stroked Kate's hair. "Jack, maybe she should take a warm shower and put on pajamas." She said in a sweet voice. "She may be getting a cold, her hair still wet, in this icy house." Kate moved on Jack's lap. "Would you like that, my dear?"

She nodded.

"Then come with me, Kate." She took her hand. "Do you want me to help you?"

Kate looked at Jack as if wondering what he should do.

"It's okay, honey." Jack smiled amiably. "You can go with Juliet."

Kate gave Juliet a hand and stood up. The blanket fell off. Kate wore only a bra and sleeping shorts. Her body shivered with cold, but they entered the bathroom and Juliet turned on the shower for Kate.

Jack was tired too, more psychologically than physically. How stressful that day was. He walked down the hallway into the bedroom that used to sleep with Kate and on the way, the bedroom door where Juliet slept was open. Instinctively he looked inside and saw Sawyer positioning the pillows.

"What is it?" He asked, intrigued.

"Pajamas night." Sawyer joked. "Juliet thinks it's safer for us to sleep together, you know, after the attack."

Jack shook his head. "We're leaving the village."

"Doc, come on, Juliet says she can set up a guard. If you think Kate is not safe here, walking in the woods and in the camp she'll be much more unprotected."

"You do not understand." It was Jack's chance to tell him. "That stain on Kate's arm .. someone took blood from her, in a hurry they ended up causing a bruise. But it's not Danny who's doing it, it's someone from here, I'm sure."

"Why do you think that? What if they injected something into her instead of drawing blood?" Sawyer asked.

"For the spot of the spot, there was nothing injected." Jack sat down on the nearest bed. "And if blood was withdrawn, only the Others have laboratories to analyze it.

Juliet entered with Kate in the room. She was already in her pajamas, looked a little better, although she was sniffing all the time. When she saw Jack, she ran and hugged him. "Hey Jack." She said with a smile.

"Hey baby." He almost fell back because he was not prepared, but he held her. "How scented you are." Jack filled her neck with kisses. She laughed.

"Hey Sawyer." She greeted him as well as she sat between Jack's legs and leaned against him. He put his arms around her.

"Hey Freckles." He smiled at her.

Juliet sat down next to Sawyer on the bed. "So, we're all going to sleep in this room today. What do you think?" She looked exclusively at Jack and Kate.

"I think it's going to be cool...right?" She looked at Jack and sniffed again.

"Hmm, honey, can you stay here with Sawyer?" He told Kate. "I'll get you a wiper to your nose." He pressed her nose. "You must be having a cold." It was true, and he could talk alone with Juliet. "Juliet, can you show me where they're stored?" She followed him out of the room.

"Two questions." Jack started. "What did you do that Kate is happier this way?"

"I told her she had a nightmare, and we're going to sleep together to make her feel better. So, if she asks, it was a nightmare, Jack." Juliet hoped he would collaborate with the good lie.

"Okay.. and why did you say that if I told you we were going back to camp?"

"Jack, please, you said yourself that she's more jolly." Juliet's calm voice ended any discussion. "Just give me one more chance."

He sighed. "OK." Jack paused for a moment. "Let's get the wipers?"

She smiled. "Sure."

* * *

They heard the bell ring.


	12. Dr Scott's Contacts

**First of all, I wanted to thank all the reviews that story has received. They mean a lot to me, they give me more inspiration to continue writing. (=**

 **My head is thinking of something cool to add to this story all day, and I love it.**

 **This is my very first fanfiction and I'm very happy you're enjoying it.** **I am still apologizing for my English, I'm trying to improve it.**

 **Thank you so much for the help, you guys are awesome! s2**

* * *

"So, what are you planning to do today, Snuffle?" Sawyer asked Kate.

She glared at him, as did the first time he called her Freckles.

"I do not know yet, probably sleep, because that's all I do." She lay facing away from Sawyer, angry. Her nose was running very badly.

"Hey, why were you mad about nothing, sugarpop?" He came close and put his hand on her shoulder. Kate did not answer. "You will not answer me, huh?" He tickled her belly. Kate laughed and flinched to protect herself from Sawyer.

"I just miss doing different things." She blew out.

"Well, I was thinking of inviting you to watch a movie today, but I do not think this is considered a different thing, right?" Sawyer knew Kate would respond. Watching movies there on the island was a very different thing, but he made himself misunderstood.

"I want to watch a movie." Her eyes flashed. Kate sat on the bed. "Can we watch eating popcorn?" She sniffed again and smiled.

"Why not?" He smiled. "It's been almost two months since I've eaten popcorn."

"So let's go." Kate got out of bed and started walking toward the living room. She was excited.

"Hey hey hey hey." Sawyer called out. She stopped instantly. "With that nose slipping, are you really thinking of going barefoot around the house, Freckles?"

"Stop treating me like a child, Sawyer." She folded her arms.

"Well, walking barefoot with a cold ... looks like a child's attitude, does not it?" Sawyer walked over to her and tickled her again. She uncrossed her arms and laughed.

"I just do not know where my shoes are." She explained.

"Come on, Freckles, I'll give you a piggyback ride to look for them."

Kate jumped on Sawyer's back and he grabbed her by the legs when they heard the doorbell ring. She froze. Sawyer set her down on the bed.

"It was just the bell, it's okay."He went to the door of the room to try to see who had arrived.

* * *

"I answer." Juliet walked to the door. "Jack, the wipers are right there in that box on the counter."

"Do you want me to go with you?" He asked.

"No, no, it's okay." She smiled at Jack.

Juliet opened the door and it was Dr. Scott. The rain was even stronger than before, he wore an umbrella and a very thick coat to protect himself. "Oh hi." She greeted him in surprise. I was not expecting a visit at the time.

"Hello, Mrs. Burke." He closed the umbrella now that it was under the awning. "I can enter?"

"Sure, feel free."

Juliet followed him to the sofa where they both sat. She looked curiously at him hoping to know why he was there.

* * *

Jack headed to the room where Kate and Sawyer had the box of tissues. He noticed that Kate was scared, and it could only be because someone had rung the doorbell.

He approached her and took out a handkerchief. "It's Dr. Scott, Katie." He sat on the bed next to Kate and placed the handkerchief on her face. "Blow your nose." She did. Jack finished wiping her nose. "Juliet just opened the door for him."

"What did he come here to do?" She asked worriedly. It was easier to breathe now, and his voice was not as bad as before.

"I do not know yet, baby." Jack kissed her forehead and put his arm around her. Kate hugged Jack back.

Sawyer was still in the doorway of the room, trying to hear the conversation.

* * *

"Well ..." Dr. Scott began. "I heard about what happened today, I could hardly believe it. I was worried about all of you, but especially with Kate, who is now my patient."

"Thank you very much for your concern. We are all well." Juliet smiled. "It was a scare, but it's over, we're going to ask Ben to put some lookouts around the village. It turned out to be a warning to all of us." She explained.

"Of course, this can not happen again." Dr. Scott agreed. They did not know who did it and someone watching the village would make everything safer. "But I was thinking .. if I could not see how Kate is. She left the office crying earlier today."

You're so sweet, Dr. Erik Scott." Juliet really admired the professional he was. "But I would like to ask you a favor, and I hope that does not affect anything, but we told Kate that what happened was a nightmare, we did not want her to be frightened any more." She confessed.

"Well, it's going to be a little difficult to hide her truth from the next, Juliet, you know." He did not like her attitude very much. "But if you do not want me to talk about it, I will not." He smiled.

"Thanks." Juliet was relieved. "Kate's in the bedroom, I'll call her. I'll be right back."

Dr. Scott leaned back on the couch and waited.

"Kate, darling." Juliet said as she reached the room. "Dr. Scott wants to see how you are."

Kate cringed behind Jack. "Why?" She did not want to see him again. It was enough as she had been with him in the morning.

Juliet leaned close to her. "He's your doctor, honey, he's just worried, like a good doctor would."

The rain was getting worse. The thunder grew louder and louder and the wind made the windows crash with a deafening noise. The day was still past half past, and it seemed to be night.

"Come on, Kate, he was kind enough to worry." Jack encouraged her. "Just say hello to you want to go back to the room, I'll come back with you, I promise."

"Where are my shoes?" Kate asked in a tearful voice and her nose came back down.

"They're in the living room, honey." Juliet replied. "Do I want to get you?"

"I'll take her there." Jack offered. "Come here, Katie." He took her in his arms and walked to the sofa. Sawyer kept looking at what was happening in the room.

"Hello, Kate." Dr Scott reached for her.

"Hi .." She spoke in a small voice as she slipped her shoes into her feet. She sniffed once more.

He sighed. He realized she was not in the mood to talk. "It's okay, I did not come to bother you. I just needed to check if you're okay." He smiled at Kate. "And it looks like you are, despite the principle of a cold. The climate is changing a lot."

Kate squeezed Jack's arm tightly as Dr. Scott stared at her.

"Yes, we are taking care of this cold." Jack answered for her.

"Did she have more fever?" The psychologist asked.

Jack put his hand on Kate's head. "She's a bit hot, but nothing to much trouble."

"That's great." He smiled at Kate. "So I guess I'll be going." He stood and glanced down the hall, where Sawyer stood to listen to the conversation. "Thank you so much for the hospitality and if you need anything, call me."

"Thank you for coming." Juliet thanked her and closed the door.

Jack looked thoughtful.

Sawyer finally made his way to the living room. "What a strange guy."

"Stop it, James, he was just worried. He went out in the rain just to see if it was okay." Juliet defended him.

"You only see the good in everyone, blonde." He joked. "Good for me." Sawyer spoke in a tone only she could hear. He turned to Kate, who was still clinging to Jack's arm. "Ready for that movie, Freckles?" She nodded, smiling.

"What movie?" Juliet asked.

"The one Kate and I are going to watch." He sat down on the couch beside her and turned on the tv. "If you and Jack want to see it too, you're invited."

"I'll pass, I think I'll talk to Dr. Scott." Jack stood up. "I'll be right back, Katie." He kissed her hand.

"But Jack .." Kate questioned. ".. it's raining .. What do you want to talk to him?"

"I'm just going to ask him a question." He was already out the door with an umbrella that was leaning against it. Kate kept staring at the door even after Jack had closed it. What did he want with that psychologist?

"Well, it's just the three of us then." Sawyer commented looking from Kate to Juliet.

"James, I thought you were going to help me cook." Juliet made a serious face at him.

"Oh, come on, let the girl have some fun." He looked at Kate. "Look how excited she is." In fact, she was not. She wanted to know where Jack was now. Her eyes were damp.

Juliet noticed.

"OK you won." She gave Sawyer a signal that Kate was not so well. "Watch her." She only moved her lips, but no sound came from her mouth.

"Come here, Freckles." He hugged her. "Do not worry about Jack, he'll show up shortly." Kate laid her head on Sawyer's lap and he stroked her hair. It was not long before she was almost asleep.

* * *

Jack caught sight of Dr. Scott entering his office. "Dr Scott!" He shouted. The psychologist turned, and waited until Jack caught up with him.

"Dr. Scott, I'm sorry, but I had to come here."

"Oh, no need to apologize." He motioned for Jack to come in.

"I figured ... maybe you wanted to ask more questions, but you did not feel comfortable doing it." Jack got right to the point.

"Yes, Kate was not comfortable. I do not want to make her give up coming here to consult." He took off his wet coat and put it on the jacket.

"Actually ... she does not want to come back." Jack counted. "I'll try to persuade her, but she's resisting."

"I can see through her eyes that she is." Dr Scott seemed to be remembering something. "Well, there's no way to get her dragged because it will not help her. If the person does not feel like opening up, there are no improvements."

Some people who were there in the office waiting for the rain to pass began to hear the conversation.

"Can we talk in your office?" Jack looked around. "In particular?"

Dr. Scott looked into his office, the door was closed. "Oh, I'm sorry. I have a patient who's already there waiting for me."

"So can you tell me what else you wanted to ask Kate?" Jack lowered his voice and pulled the psychologist to the corner of the room.

"I would ask about the invasion today, if they did something to her, but Juliet told me that Kate thinks it was a nightmare." Dr. Scott blew out. "Then I had to keep quiet."

"Dr Scott, she's got a huge stain on her right arm. Someone got a blood sample from her." Jack decided he needed to know.

He was surprised. "Are you sure?" Dr. Scott looked around to see if anyone was listening.

"Yes, I'm a doctor too, I know such a stain when I see one." Jack sighed. "I want you to help me figure out what's going on."

"Sure, Jack." He agreed. "Please keep me updated. I'll try to find out something about it."

"Thank you." Jack thanked him and turned to return home.

"Hey Jack." He heard Dr. Scott calling him. "Is she using the dreamcatcher?" He asked.

"Yes, she asked me to hang it next to her. But we changed her room, so I'll have to hang it up again." Jack smiled.

"Good!" Dr. Scott smiled back. "Do it. The human mind is amazing Jack, you have no idea how that can help her."

Jack nodded.

* * *

Dr. Scott came into his office, and in the armchair where he used to be, Ben sat, holding a laptop.

"If the person does not want to open up, there are no improvements." Ben said imitating the psychologist's voice. "How do you expect Jack to bring her back if you do not even want to force her?"

"I need to be discreet, Ben." He sat down on the couch. "I already thought it was too much for me to go to Juliet's house now, and when I saw Jack behind me I almost thought it was all over."

"And what did you get out of there?" Ben was nervous.

"Nothing, they brought Kate to me, I could not get anywhere else beyond the room." He took a deep breath. "They trust me, Ben, I need to take it easy or everything will be ruined."

"Take it easy?" Ben turned the laptop over to Dr Scott. "Can you see something?" "Why it's all dark, because the crap of the dreamcacher is in another room, in a room that's closed.

"I gave it to her, did not I?" Dr. Scott was also losing his temper. "But it's not my fault if the person you told me to take blood from her did a disgusting job."

Ben got up. He was exalted. "Get the girl back to the office and find out everything I can. I take care of the rest because apparently you're incompetent for anything other than psychology."

Dr Scott took hold not to hit Ben. He thought about telling him about the stain on Kate's arm, which Jack already knew had drawn blood. But he decided not to tell. He did not deserve to know.

Ben slammed the door behind him.

* * *

Jack came running home, the rain was getting worse and he was already getting wet. As he entered, the sound of the door made Kate, who was almost asleep, wake up. She sat up to see if it was Jack who had come back. Yes, it was him. Kate grew calmer.

"I thought you were going to miss the movie, Freckles." Sawyer joked.

"I was not sleeping." She answered.

"Of course not." Sawyer laughed at her.

"Hey Jack, glad you came back. They asked me for popcorn, so I did." Juliet brought two large pots full of popcorn with butter inside. "Are you going to watch with us?"

"Sure." Jack smiled. "I just need to do something first. Katie, come here." He called her.

Kate took Jack's hand and he led her into the bedroom. It made Kate sit on the bed and knelt in front of her.

"How are you doing?" He asked her.

"I think I'm fine, Jack." She sniffed. "Because?"

He put his hand on her forehead, still a little warm.

"Can I see that stain on your arm?" Jack wanted to be sure of what he had told the psychologist. She showed him. It was even darker.

"And your injured leg?"

"It still hurts a little, but why are you doing it now? We're going to miss the movie." Kate did not understand.

He quickly went to the room where she used to sleep.

"Jack." Kate called to him, she was confused.

"Where do you want to hang it, baby?" Jack showed the dreamcatcher to her.

"I do not know, maybe in the hallway .. because no matter where we're sleeping, it'll be able to block all nightmares, right?"

"Right, Katie." Jack hung it on the doorframe, facing the living room. "Is this good?"

She nodded

"Okay, so let's get some wipes for that nose and see the movie." He lifted her in his arms and carried her to the sofa.

"Finally, we were almost eating your popcorn." Sawyer said. He had one of his arms around Juliet.

"Give me that popcorn." Kate grunted, smiling. "Jack hugged her and kissed her head.

The movie started.

* * *

Ben had just arrived home. He sat on his bed, took off his shoes, was very nervous. There were only incompetent people working with him, it was not possible.

He switched on the laptop, to calm down a little.

And it was there. The image of Juliet's room. He could see. Ben smiled to himself. The four of them sitting on the couch, looking at the TV, happy.

Ben looked at his watch. It was almost time for him to join them.


	13. Kidnapped

The movie was over, credits crept up the TV screen. The day had already turned into night and the rain had not yet passed.

Kate was asleep on Jack's lap. Her head rested quietly between his chest and his neck. One of her hands was clasped with Jack's fingers, while his other hand caressed her back slowly. She was coughing a lot.

Juliet was also almost asleep. She rested her head on Sawyer's shoulder, which had one of her arms around her. Their hands were crossed too.

"What on earth was that movie?" Sawyer complained. Juliet awoke with his voice.

Jack started to laugh. "To kill a fast for months without seeing a movie, that was not a good choice."

"Who chose this movie to watch?" Sawyer still spoke ill of the film, but he himself had chosen it.

"Do not look at me." Juliet entered the conversation. "By the time I arrived, you had already chosen that."

They laughed.

"Well, I guess I'll take Kate to bed." Jack said. "The poor thing still has a fever." Jack kissed her head.

"Yeah, it's been such a long day." Sawyer had just realized.

"And it's not over yet." Juliet took the empty pots that had been filled with popcorn and stood up. "Ben said he'd come here tonight." She set the pots in the sink. "I do not know what time he plans to come."

"I hope it does not take long, I can not wait to lie down." Jack got up slowly so as not to wake Kate, but it did not work.

Sawyer went to the sink to help Juliet with the dishes.

"Jack ..." He heard Kate's voice very soft and hoarse. "I'm not feeling well ..." She coughed hard.

"What are you feeling, baby?" He sat down with her on the couch again.

"My throat hurts a lot." She was breathing hard, every time she tried to pull the air, her chest made a squeak.

"Okay, let me see that." Jack stroked her face. "I need you to open your mouth wide now, okay, Katie? I'll look at your throat."

She obeyed. It was hard to keep his mouth open for a long time because the cough would not stop.

Jack cupped her face gently with both hands and saw that her throat was full of white plaques. It was very swollen.

Kate tried to lie down again but Jack held her.

"You'd better sit a little while until the cough passes, okay?" He brought her close to him and let her rest his head on his chest. When he laid his head on hers, he realized how hot she was. The fever had increased.

"I'm so cold, Jack." Kate spoke weakly. She shrank to try to shield herself from the cold.

Jack took the blanket and placed it on top of it. "Sorry, Katie." He kissed her head, and she coughed again.

Juliet sat down next to them to see what was happening. She saw Jack holding Kate, trying to keep her seated rather than lying down, but in a comfortable position where she could sleep to rest

"She really caught a cold, did not she?" Juliet commented on seeing that she was sick.

"Unfortunately, it's as if everything she's been through is no longer enough." Jack nodded. "Juliet, do you have anything that can relieve sore throat?

"I can make lemon and honey tea." Juliet looked at Kate. She was very depressed, the more the hours passed, the more weak she became. "It always helps me when I get sick."

"Thank you, Juliet." Jack lifted Kate's head a little, as she lay very still. "I think her immunity has dropped." He slid his hands over her face. "You have not eaten much."

Kate was already feeling uncomfortable. Her throat and ears ached, her nose did not stop flowing, and her cough was hitting her. In no position did she get comfortable, and when she could, Jack lifted her head a little because of the cough. She felt her head heavy, and her eyes wanted to close with the sleep she felt. Kate started to cry in discomfort.

Jack turned to Kate. "Hey, baby .. I know it's hard but we'll get you some better, okay?" He wiped her tears and nose. "Crying will make your nose worse." She coughed once more. "Come here, give me a hug." Kate wrapped her arms around Jack's neck to hug him and he held her tight. He could feel her lungs full of mucus.

Juliet had just made the tea. She brought a mug and handed it to Kate.

Kate held the mug by the handle. "Thanks." She thanked her in her sullen voice. She could barely breathe through her nose. Kate sipped on the tea, the taste was good but it hurt a lot to swallow. She put the mug on the side of the couch and then laid her head on Jack again. He tried to lift her head a little to keep her from coughing, and a few tears streamed from her eyes. She tried to hide that she was crying, but Jack noticed. She wanted to sleep, she was exhausted. But she had so many symptoms at the same time that it was impossible.

"Juliet, do you mind if I turn on the shower in the hot water to make steam?" Jack had this idea. "I'm pretty sure it will help."

"The house is yours as well, Jack. You can use whatever you want at ease." She smiled.

He held Kate by the waist and helped her walk into the bathroom. Jack turned on the shower and closed the door and the window. The water vapor quickly began to take over.

"Can I get in the water?" Kate asked.

"Are you sure, sweetie?" This is going to be very fast, if you get into the water it will take longer. "He knew how much she wanted to lie down.

"Please." Jack looked into her puppy's eyes and could not say no.

"OK." He smiled. "Need help?"

"I do not think so." She started to feel a little better. The water vapor was actually helping her breathe better.

"I'll be right here, okay?" Jack turned so she could undress. Piece by piece, he saw Kate drop them on the floor as she pulled them out. Jack heard the clatter of the box closing and took Kate's clothes off to put them on the sink counter.

He could smell the shampoo coming out of the stall when he heard Kate call him. The tearful, weak voice in a tone of request for help. He turned and saw Kate's hand on the wall, and the shape of her body slowly falling.

Jack quickly opened the door to the stall and held Kate before she fell. He hugged her, could feel her small body trembling, unable to stand by herself. Her hair still filled with shampoo.

"What happened Baby?" Jack was worried.

Kate did not answer. Her body was limp, weak. Jack lifted her, and she instinctively hugged him, and put her legs around him. He put her under the shower, letting the water wash all the soap out of her hair when he realized she was naked, in his arms. He felt his clothes go soaking wet, and it was easier to feel every part of Kate's body through his wet clothes. Jack tried to get the thought out of his head when he heard Kate cough. He looked at her and saw that her hair no longer had shampoo.

He turned off the shower and kissed Kate's cheek. He put a towel over her, she was still in his arms.

"Are you better?" He looked at Kate but her head was down. He simply saw the movement of her nodding.

Jack wiped away all the water on Kate, and sat her down on the toilet, wrapped in the towel. He took off his wet clothes and wrapped himself in another towel that luckily was there too.

"I'll bring you something to wear, okay?"

"Please do not leave me here alone." She pleaded. She was pale and with tears in her eyes. "

Jack did not want to walk with Kate wearing only towels around the house, but he did not want to leave her there.

"OK, sorry." He bent down to talk to her. "I'm not leaving you, baby." He lifted her into his arms and led her into the bedroom. He placed Kate on the bed. She shivered in the cold. Jack was looking for something warm for her to wear.

He found a sweatshirt on his clothes. He turned to Kate and she was already in bed. She was asleep, still wrapped in the towel. Jack shifted quickly and sat down next to her. He was not sure what to do, he did not want to wake her, it had been so difficult for her to sleep. Jack took the blanket and covered it. He brushed back strands of hair that fell on her face and watched her for a few seconds. He smiled.

"Good night, Katie." He kissed her on the head and whispered in Kate's ear.

Jack lay down next to Kate, over the blanket and took her hand.

* * *

"Doc." He was scared to wake up with Sawyer knocking on the door. "Ben just arrived and wants to see you and Kate."

Jack stretched and shook his head to wake up more quickly as Sawyer entered the room. "Can you stay here with her?"

"Absolutely." Sawyer replied.

Jack headed into the living room to meet the Others leader. Ben was already sitting on the couch, waiting for them.

"How is the stay?" Ben asked as he shook Jack's hand.

"Very busy." Jack answered. He imagined Ben would know about all the recent events.

"So, Jack, I'll get right to the point." Ben sat back. "I wanted to thank you for the surgery that you performed on my spine, I am totally free of the tumor! However, the incision you made on my kidney does not heal.

"I closed the incision." Jack said, surely.

"Looks like it's opened again." Ben made an expression that he did not believe in Jack. "I'm in a lot of pain."

"I can do some exams, Ben." Jack paused to think. "But I'd like to ask for something in return."

"What do you want, Jack?"

"I want you to keep us safe, all of us, especially Kate."

* * *

Sawyer was sitting on the bed next to Kate, when the window opened.

"Do not move." Sawyer heard. It was Tom. He put a gun against Sawyer's temple as he forced him to get up from the bed.

Bea jumped out the window and grabbed Kate. She suddenly woke up, but Bea tamed her so she would not scream. "Be still or take a shot." A gun was also being aimed at Kate. Tears began to trickle down her cheeks as she struggled to make no sound when she cried.

"Take me with you, but leave her here." Sawyer spoke with anger in his eyes. Bea slammed the gun into his face and his lip began to bleed.

"If you open your mouth again, she's the one who's going to get punched." The woman spoke. She was much taller than Kate and had no difficulty in holding her. Kate was looking at Sawyer, her eyes soaking wet for help, but there was nothing he could do.

* * *

"And where is Kate?" Ben asked. "I asked you two to come."

"She's in the bedroom, she took a long time to sleep, I did not want to wake her up." Jack explained.

"I think she's awake now." Ben drew a gun and pointed at Jack. "Thank you for bringing them here, Juliet."

Bea and Tom kicked the bedroom door to open it violently. The two brought Kate and Sawyer, respectively, being shoved with a gun pointed at each. Kate fell as she was pushed and Bea lifted her up through her hair. She was crying compulsively now. Jack tried to approach and Ben gave a shot in the floor, very close to the doctor's foot.

"Do not try, doctor." He looked at Jack, laughing. "If I were you, it would not take long to take my exam, or Kate and Sawyer will not be what I call insurance." He turned to Bea and Tom. "Put them in the car."

The two of them went out the door and pushed, first Sawyer and then Kate into the van. Ben continued with the gun aimed at Jack until the car started. "It's up to you, I'll see you tomorrow," he yelled.

* * *

Sawyer and Kate were in the back of the car, where there were no seats and it was completely sealed, impossible to pull open from the inside. The other three were seated in the front, where they could monitor them through a small window where the front was separated from the back. Kate was crying non-stop, still wearing only a towel, which was not enough to protect her from the cold.

Sawyer approached Kate and hugged her. "You can use this, Freckles." He took off his shirt, made her put it on, and hugged her again. "Are you alright?"

Obviously she was not, but he wanted her to hear a friendly voice, to know she was not alone there. Kate shook her head and covered her face with her hands, she sobbed so hard she could barely breathe.

"Come here." Sawyer pulled her into his lap, and she buried her face in his chest. The tears were so many that it did not take long for him to feel them wetting his skin. Sawyer pressed Kate against his body and kissed her head. "We'll get out of this, sweetheart. Do not worry."

* * *

Jack punched the wall and injured his hand.

"Jack, stop it." Juliet caught him by the shoulders. He turned to her and remembered Ben's words. The anger he felt could be seen on his face.

"So you brought us here? To help Ben .."

"Jack, I swear I did not know." Juliet never wanted to get along with Ben. "He told me that he wanted to help, that he felt a lot about what had happened to Kate and that he could help her with everything she needed." She tried to approach Jack but he stepped back. "I swear, Jack."

He sat down on the couch and rubbed his hands over his face.

"Of course I'm going to fix Ben, but how can I be sure they will not hurt Kate and Sawyer?" Jack could not believe he'd been so stupid. "How, Juliet?" He screamed in despair and cried.

* * *

Sawyer tried to comfort Kate when they realized the car had stopped. She cringed in fear in his arms. Tom opened the door and pointed the gun at them.

"Get out, now !" He screamed. Tom pulled Kate violently by the arm, and kicked Sawyer when he got out of the vehicle. They were taken to a dark room with a huge screen, and two armchairs full of buckles, which were facing the TV, with their backs to the door. Sawyer and Kate recognized that room as the brainwashing room in Karl.

"Sit down there." He ordered. As they sat down, Tom pinned them with his buckles.

"You can leave now." A male voice came from the door of the room. Kate froze. It was Danny's voice.

Sawyer and Kate could hear Tom's footsteps coming, and Danny's coming in. Suddenly, he was in front of them.

"Look who's here." He smiled at them both.

Kate was in a panic. Sawyer looked at her and had never seen her so afraid in life. She was cold, struggling, sobbing so hard she had almost lost her breath. The cough that had passed, now came back with everything.

"Do not you dare look at her." Sawyer shouted. "Do not you dare."

Danny approached Kate, and leaned back in the chair she was sitting on. "Are you scared of me, young lady?" He traced his thumb to her lips as the other fingers rested on her chin. She closed her eyes tightly, could not bear the fact that he was touching his hands on her.

"Stop now." Sawyer continued to scream as he tried to break free. Danny turned to Sawyer and punched him in the face.

"So only you can have fun with her?" He shouted back. The screen lit up, and the recording of Kate and Sawyer in the cage appeared. Sawyer leaning against Kate and pulling on her T-shirt. He kissed her vigorously, sliding his hands down her body. It appeared on the huge canvas Sawyer lifting Kate and sitting on the cement bench, as they kissed and got undressed.

Sawyer was speechless at the sight. He looked at Kate, she continued to cry. Thick droplets of tears trickled down her cheeks, accumulating on her chin until they were heavy enough to fall and absorbed into Sawyer's shirt she wore.

"Look at the TV!" Danny pulled Sawyer's head through his hair. "It's for watching everything."

The screen now showed Kate lying on Sawyer, he slowly stroking her back without clothing. She lifted her head and kissed Sawyer, who was smiling. The television turned off and the light went on.

"If you do not want me to have fun with her, you go." Danny pointed the gun at him.

"What?" Sawyer could not believe it.

"Do it with her or I'll do it." Dany screamed. He untied Sawyer's buckles at the same time the gun was still pointed at his head.

"You're sick." Sawyer yelled back.

"Last chance." He pushed Sawyer over to Kate. "Or you're just going to watch me."

Sawyer could not do that, he did not want to, not like that. He slowly unfastened the buckles that held Kate as she thought of something to do. Kate was crying desperately.

"Let's go, girl." Danny laughed at her. "I know you're very good at it."

Sawyer sat in the chair where Kate was and placed her on his lap, facing him. She did not believe it was happening. He hugged her and whispered in her ear. "Do not worry, I'll just kiss you, okay?" She nodded.

He looked into her eyes and wiped her tears with his thumb. Delicately he touched his lips to Kate's lips. He stroked Kate's back as they kissed. Sawyer put his hands inside the shirt she wore to caress her, and slid his hands down her thighs, which were one on each side of his body. "Are you all right, Freckles?" She was still crying, but she was calmer.

"Enough of it, get to the point." Danny was not seeing much action there.

Kate tensed again at Danny's voice. The sobs had returned.

"Shhh, trust me." Sawyer was not sure how to get out of this situation without doing what Danny asked him, but he knew he would not hurt Kate like that. He stroked her hair and began to kiss her cheek down to her neck. It was salty from the tears that were flowing down there. "I will not hurt you, baby." He whispered to her in a way Danny could not hear him.

Danny was still pointing the gun at them. He was getting bored with it.

There was a knock at the door. Kate snuggled into Sawyer's arms automatically.

"Pickett, open the door." It was Ben's voice. Danny obeyed. "Take them to the room, I need to talk to you."

"You heard." He pulled Kate out of Sawyer's lap. "Move."

Danny led them to an empty, icy room and locked them inside.

It took a while for their eyes to get accustomed to the darkness and they could see.

"Thanks." Kate thanked Sawyer, sobbing.

"I would never do anything you did not want, sweetheart." Sawyer brought her to him. "How are you feeling?" He pulled her hair away so he could see her face.

"I do not want to think about it." She cried again.

"Shhh ... It's okay, you do not have to." She lay on Sawyer's lap, in the way they had seen on the tape, and he made her sleep. She was shaking with cold and Sawyer was trying to warm her up, but he was freezing in that room as well. Sawyer knew she had a fever and he needed to do something. He looked around and there was nothing to warm up, the room was completely empty. He tried to wrap Kate in his arms but she still shivered involuntarily while she was asleep.

"Hold on, Freckles." He rested his lips on her head after kissing her there. "Hold on."

* * *

"What were you doing to them?" Ben asked nervously.

"Having a little fun." He replied with a cheeky smile in his face.

Ben punched him in the stomach. "I should have really kicked you out, you sick one." Danny had fallen to the ground and Ben kicked him. "Kate needs to be well for the information we need, why do you think I brought Sawyer along?" "She's the bait for Jack and Sawyer is the one who will keep her well."

"What information are these?" Danny stood up with difficulty.

"About her life."

"What do you need it for?" He was confused.

"Jacob needs it." Ben explained. "But I'm sick of trying to do things the easy way for them. Now it's going to be the easy way for me. "


	14. Some Truth Finally Show Up

**That was a very small chapter, I'm sorry.**

 **I would like to thank the new reviews you wrote. (=**

 **I still do not know where this story is going, usually I just sit in front of the laptop and try to put my thoughts into words. I do not always write what I had previously thought. Bizarre, huh? LOL**

 **But I'd like you to know that I think all the time about the ending these characters will have in this story. I do not want to lose the essence of Lost that we all love and, I'm excited to write my new ideas in here.**

 **And yeah, poor Kate. )= I didn't imagine the story would go that way, but I trust Jack will be able to help her.**

 **Anyway, if you want to give me some suggestion, feel free to tell me. I would love to hear from you what you expect to happen.**

 **Thanks you! You guys are awesome! s2**

* * *

Jack could not sleep. He twisted around, trying to figure out where Ben had taken Kate and Sawyer. He wondered if they would be all right and if Kate could handle it. She was so weak when he left her in bed, she needed care, which she certainly would not have. Had Sawyer been with her or would they have put them in different places?

Juliet did not sleep either. She was worried about them both. How had Ben managed to fool her so well? She did not even know if they would believe she was not part of it. She only expected Ben to free Sawyer and Kate as soon as Jack closed the incision he had made last time.

"Jack." She called him. She looked at him, he was on the other bed, staring at the ceiling. "They'll be fine."

He did not move. There was a long pause until Jack answered.

"I agreed to help him." He rubbed his forehead. "Why did they take Kate and Sawyer hostage, if I told you I'd help him?"

Juliet sat down on the bed. What Jack was talking about made perfect sense. "Maybe Ben wants something else he has not told us yet."

Jack turned to Juliet and sighed. "Perhaps."

* * *

Sawyer and Kate were very cold in that place. Slowly the room began to brighten by daylight. Kate still shivered in the cold. Sawyer looked at her and her lips were purplish.

"I can not stand it anymore ... stay here." She spoke softly with several pauses, Kate could not breathe right from the cold. Her voice was tearful, but she did not have the strength to cry.

Sawyer was also very cold, the biggest chill he had ever felt in his life. "I know, sweetheart." He held Kate in his lap, but the warmth of his body was not enough to warm her. He pulled her legs closer to her trunk, and then warmed up more.

Kate was crying without tears. She turned her face away to hide it in Sawyer, and he remembered she was feverish. Sawyer could no longer see her like this.

"Heeey!" He started shouting, hoping someone would hear it. "It's too cold, it needs to warm up." Sawyer screamed louder and louder. "Hey, someone help."

The more he screamed, the more frightened Kate was getting. She started to cry louder, she did not want Danny to appear there again.

"Heeeey." Sawyer was still shouting. "Get us out of here, she's sick."

"Stooop." Kate spoke. "Please, Sawyer, stop." She cried a lot. "I am scared."

Sawyer did not know what to do. "Sorry, sweetheart." He snuggled Kate into his lap, and kissed his head. He felt her back fluttering from her sobbing. He held her tightly, closed his eyes as he stroked her hair.

* * *

The day had not yet dawned, when Jack and Juliet heard a horn. Jack got up quickly to see what it was. He opened the door and saw Dr. Scott, inside another van.

"I heard about what happened." He said. "I can take you to Ben, but I do not want to get more involved."

Juliet, who had just walked out the door, agreed immediately.

"Wait a second." Jack prevented Juliet from getting into the car. "It's nothing personal, but I do not trust anyone." He blew out.

"You're right not to trust." Dr. Scott turned to Jack. "But I'm doing it for Kate, Danny Pickett is there with Ben, he's one he trusts most."

"What are you saying?" Juliet asked. "Danny was not kicked out of here?

"There's a lot you do not know." Dr. Scott opened the van door. "Please, come in."

Jack and Juliet got into the car. On the way Dr. Scott explained how Ben had threatened him so he could get some information from Kate and get the camera inside the dreamcatcher and give it to her.

"So you're not even a psychologist?" Jack asked.

"I am, I came along with Juliet here, believing we would do research." He shook his head. "How we were wrong."

"And what information does he want about Kate?" That part still intrigued Jack.

"He wants to know about her childhood, about all the false identities she's had. He has Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, he wants to have a detailed list about each of you, and he still has not gotten all about Kate..and... he wants to know if she's pregnant. "

"Pregnant?"

"From Pickett." He looked at Jack in the rearview mirror. "That's why he took the blood sample, but it's too early to tell."

"It happened 5 days ago." Juliet did the math.

"Exactly, it takes at least 3 weeks to make sure someone is pregnant." Dr. Scott sighed, "I suppose he wants to keep her prisoner until the date comes."

"What if she's pregnant?" Jack started to worry.

"He'll probably keep her there all through the pregnancy." The psychologist found.

"If she got pregnant on the island, she will not survive .." Juliet had already done studies on this.

"But the baby will .." Jack concluded.

The day was already clearing when Dr. Scott finally parked. "It's over there in that house Ben is in." He pointed to a yellow house about ten feet away. "Please do not tell him I'm involved. He trusts me, and if that trust is over, I can not help you anymore."

Jack nodded, and the car quickly disappeared from view. He and Juliet walked to the house where Ben was. They looked at each other, took a deep breath, and Jack knocked loudly on the door.

A few seconds later, Ben opened.

"I did not expect you so soon." He was surprised. "It's quite a walk, how did you get here?"

"Does not matter." Jack was nervous. "I want to fix you, as soon as possible, but first I want to make sure they're okay."

"OK." Ben agreed. It was very easy, Jack was suspicious. Ben grabbed a thick coat before closing the door. "Follow me."

The day was freezing. It was possible to see the frost on the grass, and the strong fog that prevented them from seeing far ahead. Juliet and Jack followed Ben to what looked like a shed. He picked up a bundle of keys, and quickly found the right key to open the great gray gate. They walked down a large hallway, with several doors, and several armed men guarding each of these doors, until they reached the last of them. The bunch of keys was helpful once more to unlock the door in front of them.

"Only Jack comes in. You have a minute." Ben opened the door, let Jack through, and closed it again.

He felt a cold wind as he entered the large empty room. In the left corner, they were Kate and Sawyer. Clinging to each other, trying to warm up. Sawyer lifted his head as the door opened, but Kate remained motionless. Jack ran to them.

"Are you all right?" He turned Kate's body gently to see her. She was shaking, her extremities were cold, but Jack knew she had a very high fever. She was narrow-eyed, barely breathing.

"I do not know how to heat her in this cold." Sawyer blew out. He was cold, too.

Jack took off the coat he wore and covered them the way he could.

"Just cover her, Doc." Sawyer tried to get her into her coat. "She needs more than I do."

"Katie, baby." He caught her head as he closed the thick black coat on her. "You're going to be all right, okay?" He caressed her face. Kate looked at Jack and stretched her arms with difficulty, she wanted to hug him. He took her in his lap and kissed her cheek. "We'll get you out of here, sweetie."

"The time is over." He saw the door open. Ben was waiting for him in the hallway.

"You can not leave them in that cold." Jack bellowed. He still held Kate in his lap. "They're going to get sick."

"Let me see that." Ben walked to where Jack was and put his hand on Kate's face. "Ok, let's get them out of here." He agreed. "Tom!" He called. "Put them in cell 15."

Tom entered the room where they were with an armed man. He pulled Sawyer by the arm and made him stand up, then took Kate from Jack's arms violently. Jack could hear Kate's crying grow weaker as they walked away.

Jack almost cried. Juliet was already in tears as Sawyer passed by her being pushed like an animal.

"I want to see them in cell 15." Jack raged.

"You've seen them already." Ben spoke coldly.

"And they were not well, what do you guarantee me it will be different there?" Jack controlled himself too much not to hit Ben.

"Do the surgery soon and you will see them." Ben locked the room where Sawyer and Kate were before and walked down the hall.

"I do not trust you." He could see the anger in Jack's eyes.

"What other choice do you have, Jack?" Ben smiled. "It's this or nothing."


	15. Complying the Deal

Tom opened the cell door 15 with a key. Sawyer was forced in because he had a gun pointed at his head. Tom quickly and with no delicacy placed Kate in one of the single beds that existed in the room. It was apparently a lot better than the other one they were in. There were beds, they did not look very comfortable, but they were still beds. The ceiling was low, Sawyer almost leaned his head against the ceiling as he stood. Although the name of that place was Cell 15, it only looked like a room, number 15 on the door. Tom came out the door and Sawyer and Kate heard the sound of the key locking the place.

Sawyer knelt beside Kate's bed. "How are you feeling, sweetheart?"

"I do not know." She spoke softly, still crying heavily.

"It's all right." He ran his hand over her face. "Lie down a little." Sawyer helped Kate to lie down and covered her. She looked so helpless there, so small and fragile. He took her hand and gave her a kiss. "Are you still cold?"

"Kind of .." She wiped a tear that was flowing. Kate closed her eyes.

"Yeah, try to get some rest, little nose." He touched the tip of her nose with his finger and stroked her body over the blanket, then covered her better.

"Can you stay here with me?" She opened her eyes to ask. They were still wet.

Sawyer wanted to sit on the bed, his spine hurting from sitting all night holding Kate. Staying there for some more time would be impossible for him because of the pain.

"Of course." He smiled at Kate. "But I need to sit down, honey. My back is killing me.

"You can lie down here if you want." She moved to the corner of the bed, giving Sawyer room.

"Are you sure?" He asked. He did not want her to feel bad about anything about him.

She nodded. Sawyer lay down, but did not cover himself. Kate was totally curled up in the blanket. She immediately approached him and buried her face in Sawyer. He did not expect it but put his arm around her.

"Sawyer." He heard Kate's voice calling to him, almost inaudible.

"What is it, sweetheart?"

"Can Jack get us out of here?"

He looked at her. The sad look, the tears dripping and the lips trembling with sadness. Sawyer did not quite know what was happening, he did not know why they were there and how Jack and Juliet had managed to find them, but he did not know what would happen next. But he could not tell Kate that.

"We're getting out of here, Freckles. Even if Jack can not get us out, we're going to leave, okay?" He used his fingers to wipe away Kate's tears.

She cringed and went back to where she was. She comfortably lay on Sawyer's chest, and one of her hands resting close to her head.

He placed his hand over hers. "We're getting out of here." He spoke softly to himself, as if trying to believe it. It was the only thing he could grasp.

* * *

Ben was being prepared for the exams. He put on a hospital gown and laid him on a stretcher, which would be taken to the X-ray room.

Jack was already there waiting for him, along with a white-haired man who was going to operate the machine. They all wore goggles and gloves while Juliet waited sitting outside the room.

When Ben was positioned just under the precise spot, flashes began to illuminate the entire room. The x-rays of her abdomen were being taken.

Jack then began to analyze the images. They all seemed extremely normal except for one. Jack picked it up to analyze separately as Ben approached.

"Whats wrong?"

"There is a spot on that lower part of your kidney." Jack fingered the difference in color on the radiograph.

"And what does that mean?" He could see Ben's worried gaze.

"It means that there is a blood pool in the area, the area where I made the incision, we need to do a drainage, and everything will be fine.

"So what are we waiting for?" Ben wanted to solve his problem soon.

"Ben, listen, I really need to make sure Kate and Sawyer are okay, I can not do anything about the concern I have in mind." Jack could not have been more honest.

"You said it was a simple process to do." Ben replied.

"And it is but a small mistake and things are not going to be that simple anymore." Jack tried to do some drama there, to see if he could convince Ben to do what he wanted.

Ben was left in doubt. Jack would operate him, if he was angry, or nervous it might not be a good idea. Ben did not want to risk putting his life in the hands of someone who would not be well psychologically. But .. what if he was bluffing?

"What do you want to make sure they're okay?" Ben decided to ask.

"I want them out of here, Ben." Jack raised his voice.

Ben shook his head. "I'm sorry, I can not do this."

Jack slammed his hand on the table. He was very frustrated. "Why not? Why do you want to keep them here?"

"You do not understand .. Kate may be in great danger."

"Oh yeah, and she's totally safe now that she's locked in a cell." Jack laughed, he could not believe what he was hearing.

"Jack, you know she was the victim of a rape, do not you?" Ben decided to get right to the point. Jack was horrified to hear the word rape. Though he knew what had happened, he had never really heard the word about Kate. "She may be injured, may have some illness, may be pregnant, countless things may have happened to 're a doctor and you know it. It is not just hug her until she sleeps that will make those traumas go away. "

It was a reality shock for Jack. But he still did not understand where Ben wanted to go with that. Why did he want to keep her there with Sawyer?

"And what do you suggest? Freeze her in a room? Aim a gun at her head? I can not see how you can really think you're helping her.." Jack was screaming now.

"Things went out of control." Ben said, "It was supposed to be some exams with Kate, and for Dr. Scott to really help, but Jacob started pushing us."

"Who is Jacob?" Jack did not understand anything else.

"Jacob is like the owner of the island." Ben was talking about Jacob as if he were the most mysterious being on the face of the earth. "What Pickett did to Kate is unacceptable. Jacob is furious, he wants to fix it."

"So .. this Jacob .." Jack was wearing a sarcastic tone when he spoke the name Jacob. It all sounded as if it was a poorly made invention of Ben. "... why does not he go after Pickett instead of going after Kate?"

"Pickett is already on his blacklist, but Kate ... he has plans for her. Do not ask me what ..." Ben did not know much about Jacob.

"Okay, so what do you want? What's YOUR plan, Ben?" Jack tried to ignore this whole Jacob thing he did not understand.

"Keep Kate here." Ben noticed Jack's eyes narrowing in anger, his hands shaking as if at any moment he was going to punch his face. "She can stay with you, but you must stay in the village." He anticipated it before he caught up with Jack, who had already stepped forward. "That way, we can do the exams with her. That's the deal I can do, Jack." He reached out to shake Jack's hand. "You end the surgery, and take Kate and Sawyer home. It's either take it or leave it."

Jack took a deep breath. It was not even close to what he wanted, but at least Kate and Sawyer were no longer prisoners. He closed his eyes and turned. He put his hands to his head, it seemed so difficult to make a decision. He could not choose not to perform the surgery on Ben or he would get revenge on him by hurting Kate and Sawyer. He needed to get them out, but living in the village to get Kate to torture the rape victims on the exams did not look nice either.

"Can I take the exams on her?" Jack turned quickly. He was a doctor, knew how to do it, and would not make her go through anything she did not want.

Ben was thoughtful. "You can, but with one of our doctors along." He was still holding out his hand, waiting for Jack's answer.

"A woman." Jack said. He wanted Kate to be as uncomfortable as possible.

"Deal."

Jack impulsively squeezed Ben's hand. The agreement was made.

* * *

Juliet got up to see Jack leaving the room. "What happened? I heard loud voices."

"It's okay, Kate and Sawyer are going out with us after the surgery." Jack tried to reassure her, but he did not look very happy.

"Jack, that's great!" Her eyes flashed. "It was easier than we imagined."

"Yeah, but we'll have to stay here .." He shook his head. "They want Kate to do some exams." Jack was worried.

Juliet understood.

"At least she's going to be around you, Jack .. It makes things a lot better." Juliet put a hand on Jack's shoulder to comfort him.

"Well, I'm going to the surgery room. Ben is already there, waiting for me." He was not well to perform any surgery, it was visible.

"Will be all right." Juliet smiled at him. She thought of hugging him, but she did not know if she should. Jack hugged her. "Need help?" She knew a bit about operations and could help Jack almost make him very nervous.

"Thank you, Juliet." He smiled uncomfortably. "But I just want it to end soon."

Jack walked to the room farthest from the hall. Once there, the room was ready. All the equipment he needed and all the instruments he could need were there. Ben was already lying down, his belly down, ready to begin.

Jack put the mask on his face and the gloves on his hands. A nurse was on Ben's side, ready to help Jack in case he needed it.

"He's already anesthetized, local anesthetic." The nurse warned.

Jack then took a scalpel and made a small cut where they would place the hose to drain the blood.

"I hope you do not make a mistake." Jack heard Ben's voice. "It would be awful if my situation got worse and your friends had to be stuck here." He threatened. His words were making Jack more nervous.

"Let me work, please." Jack spoke coldly. He did not want to show any emotion at that moment.

Ben stopped talking and upset him. After putting the drain hose in it, it was very fast until the blood was left to go all out and Ben's kidney was completely clean.

Jack finished with the stitches.

The nurse accompanying him was impressed by Jack's ability to perform each move.

"It's over." Jack spoke to Ben. "Your turn to keep the agreement."

* * *

Sawyer heard a noise coming from the door. Underneath it was a small slit through which they had just put two sandwiches, each on a plate. He was starving.

Sawyer looked at Kate and shook her lightly. "Hey Freckles." She opened her eyes slowly. Kate was not sleepy, but she did not want to keep her eyes open and remember where she was. "Snack time." He smiled.

Sawyer reached for the two plates, and handed one to Kate. He sat down next to her and began to eat very fast. "Are not you going to eat?"

Kate shook her head, continued to wrap herself in the blanket, looking at the sandwich.

"It's very good, you should try it." Sawyer finished eating his sandwich.

"You can have mine." She lowered her head and rested it on her knees.

Sawyer sat down beside her and put his arm around Kate. "Hey, you need to eat, sweetheart." He spoke looking at her. Her head still hiding in her own knees.

"I do not want." The tearful voice was muffled by the blanket.

"Kate, come here." He pulled the brunette into his lap. She could be sad, scared, but she had to eat, the day before her only meal had been popcorn and she had not eaten anything since. He would have to force her. Kate kept her head down. "Look at me, baby."

She lifted her head slowly. Tears began to form in her eyes. Sawyer sighed as he saw her almost crying.

"I need you to eat just a little, okay?" He broke the sandwich with his hands. "Just this bit." It was not a big piece, it was a third of the whole sandwich.

She averted her gaze and bit her bottom lip. Kate was not hungry, she just wanted to forget she was there, just wanted to lie down and close her eyes.

"Please." Sawyer insisted. He started tickling Kate. She cringed and after much effort holding her laughter, she finally laughed. Sawyer kissed her forehead and handed the piece of sandwich to her. "It's time to eat." He smiled at her.

Kate took a small bite. It was really good, and that's when she realized she was hungry. She finished the piece that Sawyer had given her, but she did not want to back down and didn't take the other part of the sandwich. She lay down again and wiped her eyes.

"Look who just ate it, huh?" He covered her better and ran a hand over her face. "I'll save the rest for later, okay?" Sawyer kissed her forehead and placed the plate on the small table that existed between the two beds.

He had barely got up and the door opened. Sawyer immediately turned to see who was coming in. Kate hid her face and shrank back into the bed.

"Take the girl and follow me." It was Tom. Again holding a weapon against Sawyer. "Come on." He bellowed.

"Where are you taking us, Bluebeard?" Sawyer asked.

"Just do what I told you." He screamed even louder, losing his temper.

Sawyer took a few steps to Kate's bed and took her in his arms. "Shhhh." He spoke into her ear. Kate was crying softly. "It's all right."

Tom slammed the door shut when Sawyer finished passing her. "Move." He put the gun on the back of his neck and indicated the way he should go. Kate sobbed a lot and Sawyer tried to keep her calm by sliding her hand down her back and saying a few reassuring words in her ear.

There were several aisles they passed, with Tom shouting the way to Sawyer, until they finally turned into a room with glass walls, where Juliet was watching Jack perform the surgery a few minutes ago.

"You are free." Tom pushed Sawyer, who almost fell with Kate on the ground.

Juliet turned and ran toward them at the sight of them. Sawyer put his arm around her and gave her a quick kiss.

"I was so worried." She ran a hand over Sawyer's face. He looked very tired, had dark circles under his eyes and he was pale. Juliet turned to Kate after hugging Sawyer. "And you, honey?" She brushed the hair from the brunette's face and saw that Kate was still crying. "It's me, Juliet, you'll be fine now." She kissed Kate's hair and wiped away her tears, Kate was still shaking a little.

"You look exhausted, James." Juliet showed a pair of chairs facing the glass. "Sit down here, let me take care of her." They both sat down and Juliet pulled Kate into her lap. She stroked her hair as she realized that Kate had lost weight since the first time she had seen her. Her eyes were wet and swollen and her lips were colorless.

"What did you do for them to let us go?" Sawyer asked.

"Long story, we'll tell you later." Juliet kissed Sawyer's lips again.

Jack came through the door. Seeing that the three of them were there, reunited, as promised, Jack was thrilled. He ran to embrace Kate. "It's over, baby, you're safe now." He kissed her all over Kate's face. She wrapped her arms around his neck and Jack lifted her up. He kept giving her several kisses. "You're going home, okay? It's over." He whispered in her ear. Jack could not stop hugging her, it was so good to have her in his arms again. Kate was still crying. He did not know if it was happiness or if she was still scared, but the important thing to him is that now she was safe.

"Let's get out of here." Jack set Kate on his lap and left the building followed by Juliet, who hugged Sawyer to help him walk faster.

As they left, there was a van waiting for them. There was a man inside, sitting in the driver's seat. Juliet and Sawyer sat in the front seat next to him. He was a middle-aged man, very serious and quiet. Jack entered with Kate in the backseat. He tried to get her to lie down on the bench, but Kate did not want to stop hugging him. The driver started off with the car and began to make the reverse path that Dr. Scott had made in bringing them.

The whole trip back to Juliet's house was in utter silence. No one dared to say anything, just watched the trees along the way, the mountains covered in green and the gray sky. The way back seemed much bigger than that of the coming. For Jack, the long journey served to think what he would do in the next few days with Kate's exams. He looked at her. The green eyes were open, staring out the window, blinking slowly. What was she thinking now? Jack did not want to break the silence, just laid a kiss on her forehead and snuggled her into his lap.

The driver parked the van.

Juliet opened the door to the house while Sawyer, Jack and Kate were still getting out of the car.

As she entered the house on Jack's lap, Kate shivered. It was the place where she had been attacked all these days.

"I thought we were going home." She said, with tears in her eyes.

Jack squeezed her hard and stroked her cheek. "It's going to have to be our home for a few more days, baby." He did not want to explain why.

She buried her face in Jack's shoulder to cry.

Juliet switched on the light in the living room. There was someone sitting on the couch.


	16. You Can Always Ask For Help

**I'm loving all the reviews. Thank you very much, it's very nice to know that you care about what's going to happen to the characters and share your opinions.** **Thanks for the critiques too, I really like them to improve the follow up of the story. (=**

 **This chapter is a lighter chapter than the last ones you read, but I hope you like it too. I'm kind of on an emotional day today. LOL**

 **Oh, and before I forget! Sawyer and Juliet are beginning to demonstrate what they feel for each other, but they are not yet in a serious relationship (;**

 **I already love you guys! S2 Thanks for everything!**

* * *

"What are you doing here?" Sawyer asked.

"Well, I can ask you the same question." Locke seemed very comfortable there. He had a knife in his hand, peeling an orange.

"How did you get here?" Jack was intrigued.

"I followed your trail." Locke put a piece of orange in his mouth and bit. "But I have to admit that it was not easy to cross with the boat." He kept talking with his mouth full. "But what happened? Sayid is having a hard time trying to lead everyone, they just listen to you, Jack, and most would bet you all were dead. "

"It happened so fast, we did not have time to warn anyone." Jack sat on the couch next to Locke, Kate still held tightly around his neck.

"So you came on your own? Interesting." Locke took another bite of the orange. He looked at Kate. "And how are you, young lady?" He put a hand on her back.

Feeling the unfamiliar touch on her back, Kate was frightened. Locke quickly pulled his hand away from her. "She's burning in fever, Jack."

"It's okay, Katie. It's Locke, he's happy to see you." Jack spoke into her ear as he ran his hand over her long curly hair. He turned to Locke. "She's not very well but she'll be fine, right, baby?"

"Of course she will." Locke smiled. "Well, I do not think you're coming back to the camp, am I right?"

"We can not." Jack answered quickly. He sighed. "Not now."

"Why can not we go back, Jack?" Kate asked with tears in her eyes. "This house scares me."

Jack sighed. "It's complicated, honey." He kissed her head.

Locke got up from the sofa, put the knife he used on the coffee table, and put his pack on his back. "So I'm going, I need to warn them that you're okay."

Kate saw John Locke moving toward the door and looked at Jack. "Let me go with him, Jack." Tears streamed down her freckled cheeks. "Please, if you want to stay here all right, but please let me go."

Locke turned to see the scene. He did not mind taking Kate with him, in fact he even preferred to come back with someone.

Jack ran his hand over Kate's face. "Baby, you can not go back with him, you have to stay here." He looked into her eyes. "In a few days we'll go back to the camp, but now we need to stay."

Kate began to panic and try to get rid of Jack's arms. She struggled, and Jack held her, startled. "Katie, you need to calm down."

"Please, Locke, let me go with you." She cried out loud. "I need to get out of here." Her sobs were frequent, she was desperate. This was her only chance to get out of what that was a house of terror to her.

"Katie! Kate!" Jack was still holding her. If only he could explain to her what was happening. "Kate, look at me!"

"Help me." She was struggling to free herself from Jack's grasp by ignoring what he was saying to her.

Locke looked at them both, not knowing what to do. If Jack wanted her to stay, he certainly had a good reason. He knelt next to Kate. "I think maybe it's better for you to stay with Jack, Kate." He spoke in a calm voice.

Kate kept crying, trying to get rid of Jack. He was exhausted, he had not slept that night, his day had been terrible. Jack was not in his perfect state of mind, and Kate was making him nervous.

"Stop this!" Jack grabbed her arm and shook her a little. "Stop it, Kate! You can not go with him, okay?" He spoke loudly.

Everyone was startled by Jack's tone, he had never spoken to Kate that way before. She stopped moving, she was terrified. For a few seconds she stopped crying but then she started to cry again, trying not to make any noise.

"Take it easy, Doc." Sawyer gave Jack a serious look.

Locke stood still, watching them both. Jack did not believe what he had just done. How could he have lost his temper with her? It was not her fault, she did not even know what was happening.

"Honey, Katie .." He tried to look at Kate to apologize, but she turned her face away. Jack realized he had hurt her.

"I think Kate needs a bath tub, pretty warm, to calm down a bit." Juliet sat down on the couch next to Jack and Kate. She put Kate's hair behind her ear. "Then put on some soft pajamas and go to bed, okay, Katie?" Juliet's voice reassured Kate. She nodded. "Alright." Juliet smiled and spoke softly. "Then let me help you, darling." Juliet leaned against Kate to stand and winked at Jack. She knew he needed some time, that was too much for him to handle alone. She helped the brunette walk to the bathroom and closed the door.

* * *

"You really need to sleep, Jack." Locke sat back on the sofa. It had been only rare times he'd seen him talk like that. "It's everything all right?"

"I ... I've lost my mind." He rubbed his forehead with his fingers. "I do not know what happened."

"From the little I've seen, I think you need to let Kate do certain things on her own." Locke spoke, as if the words had gone out of his thoughts without permission.

"What do you mean?" Jack was confused. "She's traumatized."

"What I mean is you're overreacting. Doing everything for her is wearing you off, because as much as she's accepting it, it's not what she really wants and she gets frustrated with it."

Jack kept looking at Locke.

"Do you remember how Kate used to be?" John continued. "She liked to venture in the middle of the forest, to participate in the most dangerous plans you did. If you forbade her to go, she would anyway." Locke laughed as he remembered. "Kate is frightened, but she's still the same person inside, Jack. It must be hard for her to want to do things and not be able to do anything for being afraid. She clung to you, and it's completely normal for what she's been through. But in my opinion, you have become even more attached to her. "

A tear trickled from Jack's eye. "I just want her to be okay." He wiped the tear with his thumb. "If I have her in my arms, I feel she's protected. I want her to know she's safe."

"I know." Locke smiled. "But you need to protect her when she asks you, not when you think you should."

Sawyer sat down on the couch with them.

"That suits you all." Locke looked from Jack to Sawyer. "Do not deny affection, attention, company .. She has never had this in her entire life .. Since she was a little girl, she had almost none of that. These things are what she needs most at the moment. But you can do not exaggerate because it is harmful, this It wears out both, you and her. "

No one spoke a word. John's speech had impressed them.

Locke stood up. "Alright, I think I'll leave you two alone."

Jack was still thinking about Locke's words. Was he really exaggerating the way he took care of Kate? He did not want her to feel helpless.

"You should stay tonight, it's dark outside and you're alone, Hunter." Sawyer warned.

Locke looked at the dark forest, the mist would not let him see a palm ahead. He nodded his head. "I gave him lots of advice but I think this is the time I should listen to his advice and follow." He smiled at Sawyer.

* * *

Juliet helped Kate undress while the bathtub filled with water. Taking off Sawyer's shirt that she was still wearing, Juliet could see the mark of Jack's hand on Kate's arm where he had held her a few minutes ago. She pretended not to have seen anything and acted naturally. Some tears were still dripping from Kate's eyes. She was sad with Jack, who was forcing her to stay in that place and who had yelled at her in front of everyone. She was scared. So many times the Others had invaded that house and hurt her in some way. And she still felt bad, the cold had only worsened in the cold she passed while she was trapped.

Juliet closed the bath tap, it was already full enough. She reached her hand into the water to test the temperature. "It's very warm, honey." She helped Kate into the tub and sit down. "Does it feel good?"

Kate nodded. It was so good to feel the hot water on her skin. She closed her eyes and laid her head on the edge of the tub to enjoy the moment. Kate for a few seconds almost forgot all that was going on, but as she heard Juliet bringing the shampoo, she quickly remembered where she was and opened her eyes.

"Do you want me to wash your hair or do you want to do it for yourself, dear?" Juliet sat down on the edge of the tub. Kate just shook her head. She was not paying attention at all, she was lost in her thoughts. Juliet laughed and shook her head imitating Kate. "What's that supposed to mean, Katie?" She asked, laughing.

Kate wondered what she'd asked when she saw the shampoo in Juliet's hands. "Can you do it, please?" She said softly, she just wanted to relax.

"Of course." She smiled. Juliet put some shampoo in her own hands and began to wash Kate's hair. She tenderly rubbed the brunette's scalp. Juliet did not like Kate when they first met, but now she kind of saw Kate as the younger sister she never had. She was rinsing her hair when she heard Kate's voice calling her.

"I'm here, honey." Juliet finished removing the soap.

"Jack can not stand me close to him any more, does he?" She heard Kate ask, almost crying. Juliet bent down to speak looking at Kate. Tears mingled with the water of the bath on the freckled face.

"Why do you think that, my dear?" She leaned her arms in the tub as she asked.

"You saw how he treated me." Kate's face began to show expressions of tears, and she looked away.

"Kate ..." Juliet put her hand on her cheek. "... Jack loves being with you. But he just had a rough day."

"I know, it's just ..." She could not hold back the sobbing. "I feel like I'm ruining his life." She tried to wipe away the tear but her hands were also wet. "Of all of you, actually."

"Honey, you're not ruining anything." Juliet came closer to Kate. "I barely knew you guys before that, and Jack and Sawyer were not friends. You joined us, you know?" She smiled at her. Kate looked away and sniffed, and she forced herself to smile back. "Now keep that smile for when you see Jack, okay?"

"I do not know how it's going to be ..." Kate felt compelled, she still kept in her mind that Jack wanted his own space away from her.

"Do not worry about it, Katie, I'm sure it's going to be all normal." She took a large white towel from the hanging. "So, let's get you out of here?" She helped Kate up and wrapped her in the towel.

* * *

Jack could see as Juliet passed Kate down the hallway and entered the room. He wanted to talk to Kate so much, but he wanted to give her some time. He felt so bad that he had treated her like that. Maybe he should just explain everything that was happening to her. It would make things much easier.

"The lady of the house is back." John said. "I need to know if she's going to let me stay here tonight."

"Of course she will, Johnny Boy." Sawyer replied quickly.

"What are you talking about me?" They heard Juliet's voice screaming from afar. Suddenly her face appeared on the bedroom door.

"Locke can sleep here tonight, right, Blondie?" Sawyer asked her, certain that she would accept it.

"Of course he can, he can help you prepare dinner. Today you are going to cook, boys." She smirked at Sawyer. "Me and Kate are only going to eat."

"Smart trick." Sawyer returned the same smile to Juliet as she stood up. They all laughed.

Jack and John also got up and went into the kitchen to see what they could cook. Jack opened one of the cabinets to look for something and found spaghetti.

"What do you think of that?" The two agreed. Spaghetti was fast and delicious, the perfect dinner prepared by men.

* * *

"Are you really going to let them cook?" Kate asked, amused.

"Of course I do, they have to do something for us, do not they?" Juliet laughed. She took a pair of woolen pajamas from the closet and set it on the bed to help Kate get dressed.

"I think we'd better think about something else to eat." Kate replied. She had never seen any of the three cooking. Juliet helped her put on T-shirts and pajama bottoms.

"Oh yeah .." She picked up a brush and positioned herself behind Kate to comb her long hair. "You can start to think of something to eat if it does not work, honey. I'm starving."

They both laughed. When she finished combing brunette's hair, Kate sat on the bed, putting a pillow on her back, and Juliet sat down beside her so she would not leave her alone.

"Juliet, can I ask you a question?" Kate spoke shyly.

"Of course you can, Katie."

"How were your parents, I mean, were they good?" Kate looked at Juliet.

She found the question a little random, but she would not stop answering. She wanted to see where Kate would go with that.

"My parents, they ... they cared a lot about me and my sister. We moved a lot from city to city, until one day .." She looked at Kate. She was listening intently to the story. "One day they decided to get a divorce, I was a child at the time, but it affected me so much. I remember they asked my sister and I to sit on the sofa so they could tell us the news." Juliet was starting to get a little emotional and decided to stop there. "But then I got used to it." She smiled at Kate.

"My parents divorced too." Kate spoke, her gaze far away. "I was 5 years old, but they did not even tell me. One day I woke up and my father was not there anymore, but a man named Wayne, who was not good for us." A thick tear trickled down Kate's cheek. "Many years later I discovered that Wayne was my real father and not the other one I thought it was."

Juliet moved and sat down facing Kate. "What did Wayne do that you did not like him, honey?"

"He ... he beat my mother in the beginning." Tears began to rise. "And then he started hitting me for no reason. He made worse things with me when I got older, but.. I do not want to talk about." She sniffed.

"And your mom did not do anything about it?"

Kate shook her head.

Juliet put her hands to Kate's face to wipe away her tears. "Why did you start talking about it, Katie?" She was curious.

Kate bit her lower lip trying to keep her tears from falling. "Because I wanted to know if only my life was bad since I was a kid. I do not know what I did to deserve a life like this, Juliet, I was just 5 when everything started to get bad, and 14 when ... when I wanted to die for the first time after Wayne..." She could not finish, she lay on the pillow and hid her face to cry.

Juliet understood what it was about. "Darling, you're not supposed to blame yourself for anything, you did not do anything." She stroked Kate's hair. Juliet held her close for a few minutes until she calmed down when she felt she nedeed to tell Kate a story.

"You know, my sister's dream was to have a child. Ever since she was a little girl, all she always wanted was to be a mother." Juliet started to speak, still hugging Kate. "But when she growns up, she discovered that she had cancer, and the treatment made her infertile." Kate looked at Juliet, that was so sad. "She could never have her dream come true, I mean, she could adopt, but she wanted a child who had her own blood too, at least one." Juliet stroked Kate's head as she told the story. "She cried so much, Katie... you can not imagine how many nights I spent with her, trying to make her calm down. But one day, she just discovered that she was pregnant."

"How did she get it?" Kate asked in surprise.

"She asked for help, and did her part to make it happen." Juliet smiled. "Her life was terrible and one night she asked me the question you asked me, honey: What did I do to deserve this?" She looked into Kate's eyes. "She did not do anything bad, just like you did not do anything bad, but sometimes bad things just happen, and it's hard to beat those things just for ourselves." Kate bit her lip. "My sister Rachel sought medical help, and even though she had already been told that she could not have children, she stop thinking she could not and started to fighting for it. All the doctors said it was impossible for her to heal. And even more impossible to have a baby, but she did. His name is Julian." Juliet smiled.

Kate gave Juliet a tiny smile and then she sighed and looked down..

"What I mean is... you had a bad life, Katie, and you can not change your past or blame yourself for it now." She hugged her tighter as Kate's eyes filled with tears at her last words. "But we all have a chance to start a new life. I know yours will be wonderful, dear, but you must forget these bad things." She saw that Kate was wiping her own tears away. "I know it's hard, honey, but you can always ask for help. You don't have to do it alone, ok?"

"Rachel's case was a miracle..., was not it?" Kate asked in a tearful voice.

"Do you think you need a miracle to get better, Katie?" Juliet asked.

Kate nodded, she was crying now. "I do ..." She covered her face with her hands. "..cause I'm really trying, Juliet. I 'm trying to forget the bad things.." She sobbed. "But new bad things start to happen and the old ones keep coming back." She lifted her face and looked at Juliet. The tears kept flowing. She was definitely asking for help by looking.

"Oh my dear, come here." Kate lay on Juliet's lap and the blonde girl stroked her hair. "If you think you need a miracle, why one could not happen to you?" She smiled at Kate.

"Do you think I deserve one?" She spoke very softly as she was comfortably lying on Juliet. Kate had never believed in such things as miracles.

"Of course you do, why not?" Juliet smiled at her.

" I don't know..." Kate remembered the crimes she had done in her life after killing her father.

She was thoughtful. She kept her gaze away for a few minutes, while Juliet still stroked her hair. Her tears began to dry naturally on her cheeks.

They heard a knock at the door. Kate quickly rubbed her hand over her eyes to hide her tears.

"Are the ladies ready to have dinner?" Sawyer called them, doing a waiter's pose.

They laughed at him.

"Let's try this food, Kate." Juliet laughed, they thought the food would be awful.

"OK." Kate was encouraged by the idea of eating something three men had prepared.

She helped Kate walk to Sawyer, who gave an arm to Juliet and the other one to Kate as if he were a gentleman. He led them to the table.


	17. Fitting the Pieces

**I'm very happy with the reviews you wrote, I'm really excited about your opinions! S2**

 **The first season Locke was just awesome, it's the season that I like him the most so I feel pretty good about trying to bring him to life in here. (:**

 **Yeah, I know, Kate's backstory is so sad, she did not deserve it, right? She just needs someone who can give her what she never had ):**

 **I'm sorry about this chapter, I was not thinking that I did a good job so I updated it a few times. It's almost 4am here in Brazil while I'm writing so please do not judge me so much LOL I hope tomorrow I can read that and still like it cause I'm so sleepy right now.**

 **I hope you enjoy this chapter :D (you guys can be honest LOL)**

* * *

Sawyer pulled the chair so that each of them sat at the table feeling like a lady. He continued to act very well as a waiter.

As she sat down, Kate took a quick glance at Jack, who was looking at her as well. But Kate quickly looked away as she realized that her eyes had met.

"The smell is very good." Juliet praised her.

"The taste is even better." Locke said.

Locke served spaghetti on Kate's plate while Sawyer served Juliet. Jack was responsible for putting soda in the glasses.

Juliet nibbled on the spaghetti. It was very yummy, they really had exceeded expectations. "Oh my God, you're making dinner every day." She laughed. "This is delicious."

They looked at each other proudly.

The dinner went on very well, taking away the fact that there was a strange atmosphere between Jack and Kate. They both did not talk or even looked at each other badly. Jack wanted so much to apologize to her, but not there in front of everyone. Kate was still feeling hurt by what Jack had done, though she wanted everything to be all right.

They finished eating. Juliet glanced at her watch and saw that it was 11 pm.

"It's getting late, we need to get ready for bed." She said. "I think that bed can go back to the old room, right? So we'll have to put a mattress on the floor so everyone can have a place to sleep."

"Oh, do not worry about me, I've slept on the floor every day." Locke joked, "Anywhere for me, that's great, you do not have to change your routine."

"Exactly why you need to sleep in a good place today." Juliet smiled.

"So it'll be Jack and Kate in the larger room, Juliet and I in the smaller room and John .." Sawyer was trying to imagine in his head what it would be like.

"I'm on the couch, do not worry about me," Locke said quickly.

"Juliet .." Kate spoke for the first time at dinner, shyly she said softly in a way that only Juliet could hear. She had to get closer or she could not hear what Kate was saying, "Can I sleep with you? I did not want to have to sleep with Jack today..." The situation was completely embarrassing and Kate would not feel comfortable sleeping with him. But although Kate spoke very low, Jack could understand what Kate was asking for and his heart broke.

"Oh ..." Juliet was surprised at the request. "Sure, if you feel better like this, you can sleep with me, I'll love it." She stroked Kate's hair. "Boys, change of plans." She said to everyone at the table. "I think we're having a girls night, right Kate?" Juliet smiled at her, who smiled back uncomfortably.

"C'mon, so me and Jack sleeping together?" Sawyer asked, jokingly. "No way."

"I did not think so either." Jack laughed, pretending he was okay, when in fact he was destroyed inside. Was Kate so hurt with him? He looked at the brunette, silent at the other end of the table, looking down. She looked so fragile and unprotected.

"Okay, I'll take the other couch. You can have the bed, Doc." The discussion between them continued.

"Okay, everyone already has their places to sleep?" Juliet asked. She was very sleepy, had not slept the night before, and being the host of the house, it was her responsibility that everyone had a place to sleep and she knews that.

Sawyer and Locke took the extra bed to the bedroom that ehere it was previously, while Juliet and Jack took care of the dishes. Kate was lying on the couch until they finished arranging everything, Juliet had taken her there because she was not feeling well. Time or other she needed to wipe away a tear that fell so no one would see she was crying.

"How is she?" Jack asked Juliet while she dried a dish and set to dry.

"She's hurt, Jack." Juliet passed another plate to Jack to dry. She looked at Kate as she wiped a tear in disguise. "Do not you want to go there and talk to her?"

Jack looked at Kate lying on the sofa, alone. It was the perfect opportunity. "Yeah, I guess I'll go there." He smiled. "Thank you, Juliet."

The doctor was approaching Kate as Sawyer and Locke entered the room. They had finished packing everything. "Okay, everybody go to their rooms because the couches are already owned." Sawyer joked.

Kate wanted so badly to go to the bedroom to lie down and when she heard Sawyer she got up with some effort, without waiting for anyone's help. She was still too weak to walk alone and got off balance as she tried to take the first step.

"Oops, let me help you, my dear." Locke gave her arm so she could lean against him. "We do not want you to fall, right?" He slowly led Kate into the bedroom. Jack and Juliet watched the scene, disappointed. Jack felt in high school again, like when he tried to approach a girl and was interrupted. Juliet sighed at him, she felt what he was going through.

Locke returned to the living room and he and Sawyer began to turn each of the sofas into their temporary beds.

Jack went to the smaller room where he would sleep and closed the door. He was so upset. Jack decided to wait until the next day, he needed to talk to Kate and resolve this awkward situation. Juliet wiped her hands and went to the room where Kate was. She was curled up like a ball in the bed, still trying to hide what she was crying. She wanted so much that dinner had not been like this, she felt so rejected by Jack.

"Is everything okay, honey?" Juliet approached Kate and ran her hand down her back.

She wiped her tears with the sleeves of her pajamas and shook her head to say yes. Juliet knew she was not, but decided not to push her too hard.

"Okay, if you want to talk I'll be here by your side." Juliet smiled. She turned off the light and lay down on Kate's side. She could hear Kate sniffing every minute. The brunette rolled back and forth, it seemed like she was having trouble sleeping. It had been almost an hour since this scene had repeated itself, when Juliet decided it was time to try to talk to Kate again to see if everything was all right. She sat on the bed and ran her hand through her hair.

"What's happening, dear? Are you feeling bad?"

Kate turned to her. Despite the dark, Juliet could see that her pillow and her pajamas had been so wet for so long that she had been crying.

"Hey Katie .." She turned to Kate and ran her hand over her face, removing all the strands of hair that were clinging to her cheeks with tears. "You know you can talk to me, can not you?" She smiled at Kate.

"I ..." She was having trouble being able to say. "..I miss him." She burst into tears, as if all the sobbing she had kept was coming out now. Kate sobbed so hard she could barely breathe. She hid her face in her own hands, she was ashamed to cry for it, but she felt so bad.

"You mean, are you missing Jack?" Juliet stroked her back. Kate nodded, still hiding the cry in her hands. "I just had an idea, Katie." She kept stroking the brunette trying to show her that it was not such a difficult problem to solve. "Why do not you go in his room now? You can hug him and tell him how you feel, what do you think?"

Kate still did not look at Juliet. It was only possible to hear her voice muffled by her own hands and sobs. "I do not want to go there alone, he does not want to see me."

"Honey, I'm sure he'll love to see you." Juliet lifted Kate's face with her hands tenderly. "I can go with you if you want." She smiled at her.

"What if ... he gets ... angry for ... did we wake him?" The sob was making her speechless.

"If he gets angry I say it was my fault, but he will not. I promise, my dear." Juliet kissed her on the head. "Did you see the way he looked at you at dinner? He wanted to talk to you so much, why would he be angry?" She stood up and held out her hand to Kate. "Come on?" She insisted, she was very excited. Juliet knew that what Jack wanted most was to apologize to Kate, he had waited for it all night long.

Kate finally took Juliet's hand and stood up. Walking with help from the blonde, she was looking down, she was so ashamed of everything that was happening. She felt like a child who could not sleep and needed to go to her parents' room in the middle of the night.

Juliet knocked on the door to Jack's room, and slowly opened it. Kate hid her face in Juliet, she was very afraid of the reaction Jack would have. At the noise, Jack turned to the door and saw the figure of Juliet and Kate. He was awake, he had not been able to sleep either. They both entered the room, Kate still sobbing softly. Juliet hugged her so she would not feel alone at that moment.

"What happened, is she okay?" Jack sat on the bed as he asked, he was worried about seeing Kate like this. "Did she have a nightmare?"

Juliet waited a while, wondering if maybe Kate would say something, but she did not. She kept hiding her face so that Jack would not see her cry. Juliet then decided to speak for her.

"She's missing you, Jack." She smiled at him. "She wants to give you a hug." Hearing those words, Jack's heart melted. Was that why she was crying? He thought it was the cutest thing in the world. It was the first time he saw Kate crying that he knew exactly how to make her smile again. Jack pulled Kate into his lap and hugged her tightly. Kate, however, continued to hide her face with her hands, she felt so insecure.

"Oh, my little one, I missed you so much too ..." He spoke into her ear. He swayed her slowly in his arms, trying to calm her down as people do to calm a weeping child. She cried louder at his words, she cried for several reasons now. She cried with shame, with relief, for feeling completely stupid and for not knowing how to act with him. Jack kissed her head several times in a row, resting his lips there and snuggled her into his lap. "I'm sorry I made you cry, okay?"

Juliet smiled at him, and was happy to see them together. She left, closing the door very slowly so as not to make a sound.

"Hey, I'm still waiting for the hug you were going to give me." Jack smiled at Kate, she still had not changed position since he had put her on his lap. She took her hands off her face and looked at Jack. Tears still dripping from her green eyes. Jack felt so great a desire to take care of her, seeing that sad face. He rested his forehead on hers and Kate closed her eyes, sighing.

She finally felt comfortable and put her arms around his neck. He slid his hands down her back and pressed her against him. They held each other for a while, without saying anything, until the sobs slowly stopped and Kate calmed down.

"I was so scared, Jack." She sniffed. "I thought you wanted me away."

He helped her to lie down and also lay down, looking at her. "Of course not, baby." He slid one hand up to Kate's waist and pulled her closer to him, she looked so helpless. "I'm so glad you're here, Katie." His mouth let this words out after a few minutes he was cuddling Kate in silence. He looked at the girl lying down in his arms and he realized she was already asleep. All she needed was Jack's hug.

"Sleep tight, beautiful." He covered her with the blanket.

* * *

It was 7 am and the phone rang on and on. Sawyer was closer to it, and felt compelled to answer.

"Hello." He picked up the phone in a sleepy voice. "How is it?" He awoke instantly with what he have heard. "Oh, okay, I'll give him the message ... Bye." Sawyer put the phone back on the base.

"Who was?" Locke was awake too.

"Ben." Sawyer replied, seriously. He ran to wake Jack without even knocking on the bedroom door before. "Hey Doc." He shook Jack, and Kate moved with the movement she felt.

"What happened?" Jack was startled by the sudden awakening.

"I need to talk to you." From Sawyer's gaze, Jack knew he was not kidding. Kate rubbed her eyes and stretched, still not fully awake. Sawyer looked at her and turned to Jack. "In particular, but take her to Juliet first."

"Okay, hmm .." Jack was thinking about what it might be. "I'm going to the living room in a minute, okay?" He raised his eyebrows.

"OK." Sawyer nodded. Jack had never seen him as serious as now.

"Are you going to leave, Jack?" Kate asked in a sleepy voice.

"I'm just going to the living room to talk to Sawyer pretty fast, okay baby?" He stroked her face.

"Please do not leave me here alone." Kate was still asleep, it would not be too difficult to convince her to go back to sleep.

Jack cuddles her close. "I'll take you to Juliet's bed, okay honey?" He spoke into her ear and kissed her cheek. "I really need to solve a problem."

She was already closing her eyes at the affection of Jack and nodded without even associating very well what he was talking about. He took her in his arms, put her head on his shoulder, and walked with her to Juliet's room. He knocked on the door and Juliet opened it.

"What happened, Jack?" Juliet was confused. "Does this have to do with the phone that never stopped ringing?"

"I'm not sure yet, but I need you to take care of Kate." Jack's voice was desperate. "I can not leave her alone."

"OK sure." She was getting nervous about not knowing what was going on. She watched as Jack put Kate on the bed and she sat down beside her. "Jack." She called him as he walked through the door on his way to the living room. "Keep me updated, please."

Jack nodded.

He sat down on the couch where Sawyer and Locke were silent, worried.

"So ..." Jack was anxious. He lowered his eyes and saw the dreamcatcher in Locke's hands, completely destroyed.

"Did you know that this was filming us and that it was able to pick up the sounds?" Sawyer asked.

Jack put his hands to his head. He had completely forgotten that he had a camera inside the dreamcatcher.

"Ben called, wanting to talk to you." Sawyer continued. "He said that Kate needed to take an exam yesterday, but she didn't. He saw that we just stayed home all night and he had the recording of this."

Jack shook his head. "What?"

"He said the deal you just made has just been undone." Sawyer was just repeating Ben's words because he had not been told what had happened the day before. "..and that you know what that means."

"It means they want to take Kate with him, right?" Locke had already understood everything.

Jack was exalted and raised his voice. "This Ben is such a liar." Jack slammed his hand on the coffee table, and with the noise he woke Kate in the bedroom with Juliet. "He's bluffing, he didn't say anything about an exam today, he said he was going to tell us when." Jack screamed. "He just wants an excuse to imprison Kate again now he had his surgery done."

"Hey Jack, calm down." Locke spoke in his still voice. "We'll find a way to sort this out." Kate listened attentively to the conversation in the room. They spoke loudly enough for her to understand every word.

"What's going on, Juliet?" Kate sat on the bed and cringed. She hugged her own knees, startled.

Juliet had not realized that Kate was awake, she had her ear on the door to hear the conversation. At the sound of her voice, she ran to where Kate was. Juliet did not know exactly what Kate had heard, but she no longer knew how to hide the truth from her.

"Nothing's going to happen to you, Katie, please calm down." She hugged the brunette and with her hands tried to plug Kate's ears so she would not listen to what they were talking about anymore. Juliet rest her lips on Kate's head and gave her a kiss on her forehead.

"What way?" Jack was still yelling from the living room. "No matter what we do, Ben is not honest, we can not make deals with him." He sat down and rested his head on his hands, defeated.

"So let's play his game," Locke said.

Sawyer and Jack looked at Locke, what did he mean?

"He said the deal is broken, right?" Locke remembered them. "So why Ben would call you to try to make us think he is coming to take Kate?"

"He wants us to be in the woods trying to get back to camp?" Sawyer was trying to think.

In the Juliet's bedroom, Kate could not breathe well anymore. Even with Juliet's hands covering her ears, she still listened to what they were talking about. She was so afraid, she trembled and could not control her falling tears.

Juliet looked at Kate and saw the fear in her eyes. Why could not they just let Kate recover in peace? How much more could her heart hold? It was too much for one person to put up with. Juliet hugged her tightly. "Shhh, come here, honey. Try to listen only to my voice, okay?" She tried to say soothing things to Kate but it was just impossible. They could still hear the voices coming from the living room.

"Or he wants us thinking he is coming." Jack realizes

"Bingo." Locke smiled. "I believe something has happened, and Ben is threatening you. Something tells me that he already knows the results of Kate's exams. And he was not happy. I believe something made him change his mind about what he had agree yesterday with you, Jack" He tried to put his thoughts into words.

"He already got a blood sample from Kate a few day ago." Jach remembered.

"So that's it." Locke joined the puzzle pieces. "He wants to stop Kate from taking new exams because he is going to fake the old one, he wanna change that to the result he wants."

"Jacob." Jack spoke suddenly. "Ben said that a certain Jacob was charging him something about Kate."

"Is he Ben's leader?" Sawyer asked, "I thought Ben had it all."

"Apparently no." Locke realized, all this was new to him. "So what we have to do is get Kate to take the exams, as if nothing had happened."

"Without Ben knowing." Sawyer completed. "But how?"

"Dr. Scott." Jack smiled.


	18. A Better Day

**Yeah, I also like the critics especially if they are productive, and yours are always being. I'm loving all your reviews! S2**

 **They are helping me a lot because sometimes you guys realize something that I had not yet realized.**

 **I'm loving writing a fanfic, I just need to improve my English a bit so I do not make any more mistakes. ):**

 **By the way, tomorrow is my birthday, and I'm so excited LOL but I think I will not have time to update, I'm sorry )':**

 **I hope you like this new chapter! Thank you so much for all your help! Love you a** **nd until Monday. (:**

* * *

The bedroom door swung open, and everyone's eyes were turned to Kate in the hallway. For a fraction of a second, a little late, Juliet was behind her, trying to prevent Kate from leaving the room, but she was quicker.

"Why do not you ever tell me what's going on, Jack?" Kate asked in a strange tone of voice, a mixture of anger, frustration, sadness and fear. "Why can not I ever know anything?" She wiped away the tears that were flowing.

"Jack, I could not help it." Juliet apologized to him. "She heard everything you said."

The doctor put his hands to his face in frustration.

"Well, maybe it's time for Kate to know the truth." Locke was the only one who seemed relieved by the situation. He never liked the idea of hiding things from her.

Jack walked toward Kate. She was breathing fast, anxious for an answer from him. Juliet was rubbing her arm as she felt Kate's legs weaken. She'd made a lot of effort so Juliet would not stop her from leaving the bedroom, and now she felt weak.

Jack quickly held Kate before she fell. "Katie, you should not be making so much effort." He lifted her into his lap.

"Please do not change the subject ..." She was so frustrated, it was hard to hold back the tears when no one there seemed to want to include her in the plans.

"Just tell her, Doc." Sawyer knew there was no more hiding.

Jack sat down with Kate on the couch and took a deep breath. He looked into her wet eyes, carefully watching every move each of them made, trying to understand something for herself.

"Juliet, can you call Dr. Scott while I'm talking to Kate?" Jack asked. "Ask him if he can come here, please." Juliet nodded and went to the phone.

"Honey .." Jack put her face in his hands as he stroked her face skin with his thumb. "Do you really want to know about these things?" He looked at Locke and Sawyer. The two gave him a look encouraging him to stop disguising and speak up. "I just want to protect you from being scared even more."

"Jack, if you only knew how much scarier it is to know nothing that happens .." Her eyes begged for the truth.

"OK." He nodded his head. "You are right." Jack bit his lower lip. He wanted to think hard about what he would say not to end up using the words raped or abused. "Well, you went through a few things this week, right?" Kate looked at Jack without moving a muscle. "We need you to do some tests to see if your body is okay."

"But I heard you screaming .." She spoke softly, she knew that information was still missing. Sawyer and Locke looked at each other. They knew that was not all that was happening.

"Kate, we're not quite sure what's going on, but what we think is Ben is plotting some trap." Locke completed, trying to be more honest. "A trap that involves you."

Kate was frightened and flinched at Jack.

"It's okay, baby." He kissed her head. "We're not going to let anything bad happen to you."

"But what we need is for you to take these exams, Freckles." Sawyer explained. "Ben is threatening us, hoping you will not do it, for him to get what he wants."

"And what does he want?" Kate looked from Sawyer to Locke, from Locke to Jack, she was so scared.

"We still do not know, but he will not." Locke wanted to reassure her a little.

Juliet entered back the living room.

"Dr. Scott can only come at night, but he said you can go to his office if it's something urgent." She broke the news to Jack.

He was actually happy with the idea. Jack did not want to wait until tonight. "We should go right now."

"What?" Kate was not psychologically prepared for any of this. "Jack, please, let's wait until tonight." She asked. She wanted to arrange everything inside her head before going through exams.

"Honey, the faster you do it, the faster it will all go away." He rubbed her back. "You understand this?"

Kate took a deep breath and released the air slowly to calm herself so she would not cry. She nodded, even if she did not want to go.

Juliet took Kate into the bedroom to help her change while Jack waited for her in the living room.

* * *

"Okay, so you can sit in that chair, Kate." Dr. Scott instructed her. "You're going to put your arm here so I can draw your blood, okay?"

Kate obeyed. She was looking at Jack for support, who bent down beside her and took her hand. "It's just a pinch, Katie. You've had already did that before, right?" He kissed her hand. "It's just the same thing."

Dr. Scott put a rubber band on the top of her arm to make it easier for him to find her vein. He took the syringe and approached Kate. The brunette noticed that Dr. Scott put a small pot into the syringe so that the withdrawn blood could go there. She swallowed, scared.

"Do not look there, baby, look at me." Jack caught her attention.

She felt the needle sticking around her arm and closed her eyes. Jack wiped a small tear from her face. Kate was still so traumatized that any idea that she had to be hurt already frightened her, even in the smallest of things.

Dr. Scott removed the needle from Kate's arm. "How brave!" He praised her for seeing the difficulty she had, but that nevertheless went to the end. He removed the elastic from her arm and slipped an adhesive to protect the small wound. "Well, I'll take the sample to the lab so they can analyze. In a few minutes, I'll come back with the result." He pointed to a small room. "You can wait there, they'll give you a snack, okay, Kate?" He smiled at her.

"Doctor." Jack got up and called him before he left. "Do you keep this a secret, please?" He helped Kate to her feet. "I mean, we did not want Ben to know."

"Do not worry." The psychologist smiled.

Jack held Kate by the waist to help her move to Dr. Scott's room. They sat down and a nurse soon approached and poured hot milk with bread for Kate. She did not even touch the food.

"Jack, these exams are for what exactly?" Kate asked, timidly. She did not even know why she needed to draw her blood.

"We just want to make sure you're healthy, that's all, baby." Jack smiled as he explained, trying to ease the situation. His biggest concern was that Kate had picked up some illness that Danny might have transmitted to her.

They waited in silence for a few minutes. Jack was worried and Kate was thoughtful when Dr Scott entered the room they were in and pulled a chair up to face them. His countenance was much more serious, which worried Jack even more. The psychologist held some papers in his hands.

"Okay ..." He cleared his throat to speak. "Jack, you said Kate was having a fever, right?"

"Yes, the fever gets high and then it goes down, but it's always there." He placed a hand on her forehead to check. "Even she has a fever now, but you said it was emotional, right?"

"That's what I thought about what I saw back then, but it was very little talk time I had with Kate that day." He rubbed his head, and placed one of the sheets behind the pile of papers he held. "What it says here is that her body is fighting a bacterium, so she has this constant fever." He turned to Kate. "Do you feel weak or tired most of the time, my dear?"

She nodded.

"It's your spending all the energy it needs to fight this bacterium." He turned his eyes to the papers. "It's nothing serious, but it needs to be dealt with soon, before it spreads." He passed another sheet behind the pile of papers. "How many days since the.."

"Six days." Jack stepped forward. He did not want Kate to hear those words. "But ... what kind of bacteria is this?" He asked.

Dr. Scott passed the papers to Jack. "You understand that better than I do, I'm just a psychologist, but the lab staff still can not identify." They're working on it, until tomorrow they'll have an answer. "

Jack analyzed the test result quickly. His eyes were accustomed to that kind of language. He saw that it indicated that Kate's body defense system was badly affected, that she was actually infected by a bacterium and that fortunately, she was not pregnant. Jack sighed in relief. "Is this the end result?" He asked.

"Yes, the last part we can not yet say because it's too early, but the chances are great that ..." Dr. Scott paused and looked at Kate quickly. He imagined from Jack's attitudes that he did not want Kate to know they were investigating a possible pregnancy and decided to choose other words. "... that she need not worry about it." He gently took the papers from Jack's hand and looked back at Kate. "But I would advise you, young lady, to come back here tomorrow so that we can give you some drugs to kill that bacterium. We do not know how much longer your body will be able to continue fighting it. I mean, it's been six days already."

"Yeah, we'll be back tomorrow, then." Jack said. He was relieved after all.

* * *

Instead of returning home immediately, Jack decided to take Kate for a walk. He knew it would do her good to breathe some fresh air. With a few feet walking, she already felt very weak.

"Jack, can we go back home?" She felt breathless as if she'd been miles. "I'm not feeling very well."

Jack lifted her by holding her by her armpits and rested her buttocks on his arm. "Let me help you." She put her arms and legs around him. "I'll take you somewhere else, ok, honey?" He stroked her back. "I think you'll like it."

Kate trusted him so she was not worried about what was going to happen. She just laid her head on his shoulder until the trip was over.

He walked with her for a few yards until he reached the entrance to the forest. He sat up against a tree with Kate sitting on his lap.

"Where are we, Jack?" She asked, looking around trying to identify the location.

"Very close to home, actually." He smiled. "But I thought you'd like to enjoy nature rather than spending all day indoors."

Her eyes shone. She leaned her head against his chest as she stared up at the sky.

"Do you think it will hurt?" Kate asked suddenly, she externalized her question as if he knew what she was thinking.

Jack looked at Kate, confused.

She looked back at him, tilting her head so she could look into his eyes. "Tomorrow ... do you think it will hurt?"

He grinned at her innocent question. "No, baby, they'll probably just give you some drugs and send you back home."

"Oh, no more needles on my arm?" She asked jokingly, but Jack could see from her shaking voice that she was afraid she might need injections.

Jack smiled at Kate as he kissed her forehead. "Nope, no needles."

Kate settled on Jack's lap and they stood there in silence, feeling the wind in their faces, listening to the birds sing and enjoying each other's company. The sound of nature was really very soothing.

Jack seemed happy that Kate was quieter today. Maybe he should have told her the truth before, she seemed so less worried and crying less.

He could not resist seeing those beautiful green eyes a little happier and gave a soft kiss to her cheek. Jack continued to give her a lot of kisses, until he finished with a longer kiss near her earlobe.

Kate felt ticklish and giggled, teasing Jack by pushing him to stop. He knew she was enjoying it. Jack continued to kiss her face until he finally tenderly kissed Kate's lips.

He could feel her heart pounding. Her body slowly responding to Jack's act, he slid his hands down her waist. Kate wrapped her arms around Jack's neck and nibbled on his lower lip. She ended up giving him a small kiss and smiled shyly.

He smiled back at her and stroked Kate's face. "You know I love you, don't you?"

She replied snuggling into him and giving him a small kiss on the neck.

Jack did not want that moment to end. For a while he and Kate managed to forget all the problems and managed to have some fun. Kate even ventured upstairs trying to climb a tree and laughed when her arms and legs could not keep going until she reached the halfway point. Jack needed to help her down, but she still managed to get an apple from the tree.

Jack realized that she needed simple things to recover. Keeping her stuck at home seemed safer but it only made her suffer even more.

He was watching Kate when he saw that the sun was starting to set. Jack felt a little disappointed to know it was time to go home.

"We should go back now, baby, it will start to get dark soon." He tried to disguise his disappointment.

"Jack." Kate turned to him and put herself into his arms. "That was the best afternoon I've had in a long time." She closed her eyes as he wrapped his arms around her. Jack hugged her tightly and kissed her forehead.

"I'm glad you enjoyed it, Katie." He lifted her in his arms to take her back home. "We can do this whenever you want, okay?" Jack felt her small body relax as he carried her. He could tell she had a better day.

* * *

"Oh my God, we were so worried about you." Juliet rushed over to the couple that was going through the door of the house. "Where were you all this time?"

"Relax, Juliet." Jack laughed at her reaction. "We just went for a walk." He stopped behind the couch and passed Kate over it, placing her sitting comfortably on the sofa cushion. "And it was a great walk, right, baby?" Jack leaned over the couch. He squeezed Kate's shoulders affectionately and kissed her cheek.

"Oh, I see those little eyes shining." Juliet sat down next to Kate and hugged her. "And what did you guys do on that walk?" She looked from one to the other, smiling. She was excited to know what had made the brunette forget her troubles a little and smiled.

Kate looked at Jack and her face blushed, but she was smiling. Jack slid two fingers into Kate's face and squeezed her cheek tenderly.

"We walked a little, we sat down to see the birds, oh, and Kate even risked climbing a tree." Jack would explain as he walked into the kitchen and grabbed a fried chicken that was on the stove to eat.

"Sounds like it was great." She winked at Jack. She had already understood that he had kissed Kate. "And I bet you guys are hungry, Jack could not wait to finish frying the dinner."

He took a bite and passed the chicken drumstick for Kate to eat too.

"And how was the doctor?" Juliet had now returned to the stove to continue frying the chicken pieces.

"I'm kind of sick ..." Kate replied. The beautiful smile she had a few seconds ago simply disappeared.

"Sick?" Juliet worried.

"She's got some kind of bacteria in her body, but tomorrow she's going to take the medication and it's going to be okay, right, Katie?" He did not want her to begin to remember the nightmare that all that was being.

"Yeah," Kate said softly. She returned the fried chicken to Jack and lay down on the sofa with a sad look. Jack pulled her close to him.

"How about we help Juliet set the table?" He kissed her temple as he pressed her to him. Jack wanted to keep her from thinking of anything sad.

She agreed.

"Let's go then." He helped Kate get up and they set the table for five people.

"Thank you so much." Juliet thanked them for helping. "But there will be only four today, Locke will be spending the night away."

"where is he?" Jack asked.

"He said he had to figure something out, and he left." Juliet explained. "He did not say where he was going."

Sawyer walked into the kitchen with a towel in his hand, wiping his hair. "This is smelling pretty good." He remarked as he took a look inside the pan Juliet was using to fry. As he passed her, he quickly wrapped his hand around her waist in a kind of affection. Sawyer saw that Kate and Jack were back. "What happened to you gone all day?"

"We were walking." Jack answered quickly, but to Sawyer it was enough.

"Oh ok. Nice!" He took a bottle of juice from the refrigerator and placed it on the table so everyone could serve.

Juliet finished frying the chicken pieces and they began to eat. For Jack and Kate the dinner was completely different from the one they'd had the day before. They were sitting side by side, and every now and then Jack rested his hand on Kate's leg under the table. She smiled at him and her face blushed every time he did it.

Juliet and Sawyer were getting along too. She was still a little afraid, she did not know exactly how he was feeling about Kate, but she already knew that her heart belonged to him.

* * *

It was almost dawn when they decided to go to bed. They had spent hours talking and eating, but now the sleep had come stronger.

Juliet and Sawyer said good-night and went into their bedroom.

Kate was leaning on the table, resting her head in her own hands, almost sleeping right there. Jack put his arm around her and spoke into her ear. "You need to sleep, Katie." He wrapped her arms around his neck and carried her to the bedroom.

He laid her down on the bed, and took off the shoes she wore, one by one, and set them on the side of the bed.

Jack put on more comfortable clothes to sleep on, and looked at Kate. She had moved to the middle of the bed, was curled up without any covers. He smiled and covered her with a blanket. Jack sat on the side of the bed for a while, watching Kate sleep. With one hand, he tucked a few strands of hair behind her ear, and stroked the brunette's freckled face. Suddenly he saw Kate move abruptly. She twisted over the sheet and began to move to get rid of it and the blanket. The expression on her face changed to anxious, and Jack decided to wake her up.

"Katie." He slid his hand down and up her arm.

She fluttered slightly and opened her eyes, disoriented and frightened at the same time. A few tears streamed down her face. "I had a nightmare about tomorrow." She spoke in a tearful voice. Her breathing was agitated.

Jack slowly lay down beside her and put his arm around her protectively. "Do not worry about tomorrow, baby." He set her straight so that she would stay close to him and calm down. "Everything will be fine, I promise, okay?" Kate closed her eyes and let one of her legs rest gently on his. Jack took her hand in his free hand and kissed it. He finally closed his eyes and slept.


	19. A Nightmare in the Hospital

**Thank you so much for all your birthday wishes. I did not expect it, really (': You guys are the best!**

 **This chapter may be a bit difficult for someone who is sensitive like me, so please be careful when reading x:**

 **I literally wrote some parts of it crying, but some of these things are necessary so that the story could continue and end well in the future.** **I'm hoping that I made a good decision.**

 **I hope you like it and do not kill me for it, LOL**

 **Love you s2**

* * *

It was late at night when Dr. Scott was still sitting looking at the phone. It was for him to call Ben and tell him that Kate's exams had been done. He scratched his head, held the phone in his hands, even dialed the numbers, but then returned it to the same place.

It was such a difficult situation he was in. Ben was his boss and he knew full well what he was capable of. But on the other hand, he knew what Kate was going through and did not want to hand her over to Ben.

He looked away into the hallway of his house. Through the half-open door, he saw his 2-year-old daughter sleeping peacefully. His family had so often been threatened by Ben when Dr. Scott did not want to do what he asked him. The psychologist knew that if Ben found out that he had not warned him, the threats would come back.

Dr. Scott could not go through this again. He picked up the phone and for the last time that night dialed Ben's number.

"She did it."

* * *

Jack woke up suddenly, startled. This time it was he who had had a nightmare. He had dreamed that Ben had taken Kate as a prisoner again. Seeing her asleep, holding his hand tight, he calmed down at once. Her long curly hair covering the entire pillow, her small body covered and the expression of peace on her face. All that bad feeling left him when he realized she was fine. She was there, under his care.

"Stop watching me." He heard her sweet voice, speaking very softly and sleepily.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Katie." He realized she had not opened her eyes. "I did not realize you were awake." He ran his fingers over her face to pull out her hair and see her better.

"I'm not." She buried her face in Jack's neck. He put his arms around her and kissed the brunette's head. He gave a small laugh the way she acted when she was very sleepy. So innocent and cute.

Jack felt at peace with Kate in his arms, he could spend hours stroking her back, feeling her warm breath on his neck.

He saw the day dawn, had lost his sleep. Slowly the sunlight streamed through the cracks in the window and dimly lit the room. Jack felt Kate adjust herself to take a new position. Her eyes widened and met his.

"Are you still awake?" She asked, almost being interrupted by a yawn.

"I slept a little," he replied smiling.

"What are you thinking, Jack?" She rubbed one hand over her eyes.

"Well, I'm thinking of ..." Jack pulled her up slowly. "... that I missed you very much." He began to fill Kate's face with kisses while lightly tickling her. He laid her on the bed while she giggled, demonstrating that she was enjoying what he was doing. Jack rested his forehead on hers. Her green eyes did not detach from his, as if she asked for more. He laid his nose gently on hers, teasing her a little, and finally reached her lips. He felt Kate's arms pull at his body so that he pressed harder against hers. Jack heard Kate moan softly as he slipped his hands over her body, but he knew they needed to stop.

It was already possible to hear the voices of Juliet and Sawyer in the living room. They were awake and the room's door had no key.

Jack slowly tried to slow the kiss, and hugged Kate back into his arms, but she still kept her arms around his neck, hastening the pace for them to continue. Their breathing was accelerating.

"Honey, we should stop." Jack spoke between the kisses, but each time he heard some sound come out of Kate's lips reacting to his touch, his willingness to stop disappeared.

"Why?" Kate asked as she whimpered in delight as she felt Jack's fingers gently lifting her t-shirt and kissing her whole belly.

He felt her belly rise and fall vigorously following her breath. Jack took off her shirt. "Because of this." He smirked at her and kissed the girl's neck, one hand behind her head and the other traveling across her naked leg.

Kate's eyes were closed, feeling Jack's hands slide down her skin as he found the waistband of her panties and he began to play with it between his fingers. Kate threw her head back slowly and moaned loudly.

Jack realized that it was time to stop. He laughed and covered her mouth with his hands gently. He lay down and made Kate lay on his chest. Her body trembled, her breath panting, her gaze wanting more, but she was laughing too. Jack covered them again. He could hardly believe he'd managed to stop when he heard Juliet knocking on the door.

She slowly opened it. "It's all right?" Juliet was worried. "I heard a scream, I guess."

"It's all great." Jack tried to act naturally, disguising his quick breath, while Kate quickly pretended to be asleep.

"Oh ok!" Juliet smiled and nodded slightly, thinking she had heard things. "Are you going to spend some time in bed? It's rainy, that's great for that." She smiled.

"Just until she wakes up, I guess." He looked at Kate and pressed her against his body with his arm around her.

"Yeah, let her rest. She needs it." Juliet smiled and closed the door without making a sound.

Jack turned his eyes to Kate, and she looked down at her hand resting on Jack's belly. He noticed that her breathing was still uneven and that she looked everywhere but at him.

"Katie?" He placed his hand over hers. When she lifted her head to look at him, Jack noticed that her cheeks were pink with embarrassment, making her even more adorable. He smiled at her and kissed her temple. "You should not sleep by my side wearing only a t-shirt, you know .."

She gave a shy chuckle and lowered her eyes again. It was possible to hear that it had begun to rain. "I'm still so sleepy." Her voice came out almost childish.

"Come here." He settled her in his arms and rested his lips on her forehead. "It's still too early, baby, you can sleep, okay?"

She nodded, her eyes already closed, her body relaxing and beginning to sleep in her favorite place in the world: Jack's arms.

* * *

Ben was worried about his daughter Alex. Since she started dating Karl, Ben's head was a thousand miles an hour. He was capable of everything so as not to lose his daughter, even to arrest her boyfriend in cages. And that's what he did.

It had been weeks since Karl had been tortured, mistreated, and receiving something that looked like brainwashing.

Alex was so angry with Ben that now she did not even talk to him anymore. She entered the house and went straight to her room, completely ignoring Ben's existence in the living room.

He walked to the door of her bedroom. "For how long will you ignore me, Alex?"

No reply.

There was no denying that Ben was manipulative, lying, Machiavellian and did not go to great lengths to get what he wanted, but when it came to Alex, his hard heart was softening a little.

"What do you want me to do?" Ben almost begged. "Tell me, Alex, I do not want you like this."

She looked up at her father. It was unbelievable the question he had just asked. "What do I want you to do?" She got up and started to speak louder. "I want you to let him go, get him out of that terrible room. Let him take the doctor to take care of the injuries you've done to him." Her eyes filled with tears instantly. "I want you to let me live my life the way I want to."

Ben came over to hold her but she drew back. He felt like a horrible father. It was strange to think that deep down he had feelings, too. "You know he's not for you."

"Dad, I just want him to stop suffering, that's all!" She wiped away her tears. "The worst thing in the world is to see someone you love grieving. Just get him out of there, let him go home." She asked loudly.

Ben sighed. He gave up.

"Okay, I'll get him out of there."

Alex could not believe what she was hearing. "Are you serious?" She could barely hide her happiness.

"Yes, today, I'm going to ask Danny and Tom to take him home." Alex jumped on Ben, and finally hugged his father. "But, I want to ask you to wait until you find him. That's all I ask."

Alex agreed. She was very happy.

Ben called Tom and gave him the news. He almost forgot to ask him to use the trip to also pass in the lab and bring him the Kate exams.

He still had that subject to solve.

* * *

Sawyer and Juliet were watching a movie in the living room when Jack and Kate finally left the room.

She had slept so much that her eyes were still a little swollen. Jack had an arm around her to help her walk, she was still waking up.

"Look who finally decided to show up." Juliet smiled at them.

Jack helped Kate sit on the couch beside Juliet and went to the kitchen to get something to eat. She stepped out of the comfort of Sawyer's arms to greet the brunette. "Did you sleep well, honey?" Kate nodded, but was just looking down. She was curled up on the corner of the sofa. Juliet put an arm around her as she realized she was not in the same mood as yesterday. "Is everything alright with you, my dear?"

Kate sighed. "I'm just worried about today." She spoke discouraged.

"What's going on today?" Juliet still did not know that she would need to go back to the hospital to be medicated.

"I know how you feel, Freckles." Sawyer, while focused on the film, was also listening to the conversation. "I hate hospital, whenever I go there, something bad happens to me and .."

"James." Juliet interrupted him and gave him a serious look. "Nothing bad will happen in the hospital." She finished.

"Come on, blondie." He laughed and kissed Juliet's cheek. "She knows I'm kidding, right, Katie?"

She did not laugh. She was really worried, did not have a good feeling about going back to the hospital today.

Jack appeared with a large bowl of cereal and sat down next to Kate. He dipped the spoon into his plate and tried to feed her, but she did not want to.

"Hey, what's going on, baby?" He asked when she saw that she looked depressed.

"I'm not going to the doctor today, okay?" Her voice came out timidly, she was hugging herself on her knees. But she was determined.

"Oh yes?" Jack giggled at that. "May I ask why not, Miss Austen?" He thought she was only using it a ruse to not need to go.

"I do not feel good about going there, Jack .." She blew out. "Please do not make me go."

Jack set the cereal dish aside and put Kate's face in his hands. "You have nothing to worry about, baby." He stroked the skin of her cheek with his thumb. "They'll give you a pill to take and you come home, that's all." He hugged her. "I'll be with you all the time, okay?"

Kate buried her face in his shoulder. Why did not Jack ever consider what she was feeling when she was afraid to do something? If only it were a real hospital, but that was the Others' hospital. She was frightened. Her eyes filled with tears that dried right there on Jack's T-shirt as he rubbed her face into it.

"Let's change clothes to leave?" He kissed her head and spoke into her ear.

Kate shuddered and clung to Jack, shaking her head, saying no. Her crying could be heard very softly because it was muffled by Jack's shoulder. Juliet noticed the scene and decided to intervene.

"Jack, just give her some time." She stroked Kate's back. "She'll go with you, but let her calm down first."

Jack was immediate, if he needed to do something he would do it as fast as possible. He did not understand how to give Kate some time would change her way of thinking. For him, it would only make her feel less inclined to go.

"She's not going to calm down, Juliet. If we go now she'll see that she has nothing to worry about, and she'll be fine for the rest of the day." He told his point of view. "The longer it takes her to go, the longer she'll suffer for nothing."

"Jack." Juliet, on the other hand, tried to be more understanding. "Try to put yourself in her place." Kate finally lifted her face to look at Juliet. Her eyes were red, all wet. Juliet hugged her and Kate was so relieved to know that someone completely understood her. "You know it's for your sake that you need to go there, right honey?" Juliet spoke softly to Kate wiping her tears. Kate nodded, her sobs subsiding.

Jack shook his head at the sight of Juliet interfering in his decision, he totally disagreed with what had just happened. He thought Juliet was too soft, and sometimes people need to be rigid. Jack knew that it was still difficult for Kate to do many things, but if they did not force her, she would never get better.

It was already mid-afternoon, and Jack did not want to start talking about it again. He tried to act normally, not showing his disappointment with the girls. He and Sawyer worked on fixing the sink, which was clogged for the hundredth time, when Juliet entered the kitchen with Kate.

"I think I'm ready to go, Jack." Kate spoke in a trembling voice, biting her lip. She wore jeans and a sweater. Juliet smiled proudly of the brunette and of herself, for having managed to convince her.

"I do not believe it, Freckles." Sawyer can not help commenting, he raised his head to see if it was true. She was really going.

Jack could not miss the chance to take her to the hospital at that moment. He walked over to Kate and hugged her. "You look beautiful, baby." Jack could see that she was still scared but still she had the courage to face. He was so proud of her.

She hugged him back, wrapping her arms around his neck. He lifted her into his embrace and set her back on the floor.

They went out the door.

* * *

Locke entered the room after a day out. Sawyer and Juliet were startled to see the bald man burst into the house.

"What happened, Mr. Clean?" Sawyer asked, angry that he was scared. "Where have you been?"

"I needed to sort things out." He replied, enigmatic as ever. "Where are Jack and Kate?" Locke put his pack on the floor.

"They went to the hospital, they'll be back soon." Juliet answered, pouring a glass of water to Locke.

"At the hospital?" John's eyes widened. He raised his hands to his head.

"Yes, but they'll be back." Juliet frowned as she did not understand his reaction. "What's the problem?"

"I just passed by and saw Pickett walking into the hospital with Tom and another kid." His countenance was very worried. Locke took the glass of water from Juliet's hands and took a sip. "I hope this does not have to do with Kate's going there."

"Do you think we should tell Jack?" Juliet asked.

"They're already there." Sawyer anticipated. "It will not make any difference."

* * *

"Okay, lie down, Miss Austen." Kate was being taken care of by Dr. Summer. She seemed a little younger than Jack, but competent as he. "I'm just going to touch your belly, and if you feel any pain, you'll tell me, okay?"

Kate nodded. She was nervous, held tightly to Jack's hand that he could barely feel his fingers.

"Excuse me." Dr. Summer lifted Kate's sweater and tightened her stomach on some specific points. "Any pain?" Kate shook her head. Dr Summer squeezed a little deeper beneath her belly, and Kate screamed in pain. "Okay, I think we found it." She lowered Kate's sweater. "That's where we have a small infection." She made a note on a paper that was on her desk. "I'm going to give you an antibiotic to stop this infection, Kate. It's a bit strong, so I recommend she stay for a few hours on observation." Dr. Summer looked at Jack. "She may experience dizziness, nausea and a lot of sleep, which will not last more than a day."

Kate squeezed Jack's hand even harder when she heard that she would have to be watched in the hospital. He had said she could go home.

Dr Summer was already preparing the drug to give Kate, it was an injection. "Are you ready?" She smiled.

Jack looked at Kate. He could see the panic in her eyes, everything he had said was going to happen, was being different. He helped her sit on the medical bed and hugged her. Kate was making the greatest force in the world not to cry in front of him and the doctor. "Just try to relax, okay, baby?" He pressed his forehead against hers as he rubbed her arms. "It's almost the same as yesterday, you did so well."

"It's so fast you will not even notice." Dr. Summer said trying to help. Kate was not afraid of needles in the real world, but for some reason she was afraid of everything involving the Others. "Can we start?"

Kate did not answer. Jack hugged her tightly and motioned for the doctor to apply the injection. Dr. Summer lifted the sweater sleeve and slipped the needle into Kate's upper arm. She gave a little jump with the scare, but Jack held her so she would not move. When he had finished depositing the antibiotic on Kate's body, the doctor took the needle out. "There you go. It's over, dear." She smiled at the brunette when she saw that she was still clinging to Jack.

He lifted her from the medical bed and laid her down on the floor, kissing her head.

Dr. Summer led them to the room where Kate would spend the next few hours. It was a bright room, with a TV positioned near the ceiling. There was a bed and a sofa for the companion to sit on. It also had a private bathroom and a white curtain that covered the entire window.

"If you need anything, just press this button." She pointed to a red button on the wall. "Any questions?"

"No, I think it's okay." Jack laid Kate on the bed. She was beginning to feel dizzy. "Thank you."

"When are we going to go home, Jack?" Kate asked sleepily. A blurred Jack in her vision covered her and took her hand.

"Sooner than you think, baby." He smiled but she had already closed her eyes.

* * *

Locke entered the hospital and ran his eyes around all the places he could. He went to the front desk and asked for Kate Austen.

The receptionist easily found her card. "She's at rest."

"Can I visit her?" Locke wanted to warn them that Danny was around.

"Only one visitor is allowed at a time and she is already accompanied."

'Jack Shephard?'

"Excuse me?" She did not understand.

"The visitor in her room is Jack Shephard?" Locke asked again, being more objective this time.

She looked at Kate's file again and confirmed.

"Okay, I really need to talk to him, is there anyway?"

"The only way is if he comes down to talk to you." The receptionist answered coldly, without taking her eyes off the computer.

"Sounds good."

* * *

Jack was informed that someone at the front desk was looking for him. The first person that came to mind was Ben. He looked at Kate and saw that she slept soundly. They were in a hospital. What could happen bad there? Jack went down the stairs quickly and caught sight of Locke.

Upstairs Kate was alone in the bedroom. People came and went in the hallway, and the door was half open. Leaving the next room was Danny. He had just left Karl on the observation at Ben's request.

Pickett recognized the girl at the time. Would she be there because of him? He looked around and went into her room. Closed the door. The first time he hurt her, he was finished. He had just lost his wife Colleen. He attacked Kate out of anger, frustration, he needed to hurt someone to take revenge. He had never done anything like it before. But he liked the feeling it brought to him. A sense of power, of superiority. Now he wanted to do it again, just for the pleasure he felt in knowing he was overpowering somebody.

He touched her face, and Kate shifted. "I missed you, beautiful." That voice instantly woke her up. But her body did not obey her movements, the effect of the medicine was very strong. Her vision was still blurred, but that smell and that touch brought her the same dread she had felt before.

Danny tore the sweater she wore and violently tried to undress her. She tried to scream for help but her voice did not come out. She moved unevenly, without any coordination. Danny lifted her arms above her head and held them there.

He put almost the full weight of his body on top of Kate. She soon lost her strength and stopped trying to flee.

"Nice, be a good girl." He spoke low but it frightened her even more.

The most thick tears she'd ever had came down her face and fell into her hair. The pain of someone taking away her dignity, and she could not even ask for help.

He released her arms and touched her body. She could not stand another minute of it. Kate tried to concentrate all she had on pressing that red button on the wall. She could barely see it with her blurred vision.

She waved her hand, without coordination until after much effort the tip of her fingers hit the button, which made a noise and ignited. Kate was half conscious.

Danny was startled by the noise the button repeatedly made until it was turned off. He quickly released Kate and tried to walk out the door, being blocked by one of the doctors.

Pickett knocked out the doctor, but countless people in the hallway saw him attacking him. Jack was already climbing the stairs as fast as he could by having been warned by Locke that Danny was in the same environment as Kate.

He saw the doctor being treated, bleeding on the floor. Kate's door opened, with two nurses around her. Jack could not believe what he saw. He knew what Kate had already gone through, but he had never seen it that way. He saw her clothes torn, the bruises on her skin, the fear she had of being touched by anyone. Jack ran to her, crying.

"Sir, you're not allowed in here." The nurses tried to stop him.

He did not care. He passed them and knelt down, devastated. It was his fault. Jack was crying like a child. He leaned against Kate and she trembled with fear. She was still doped.

"I need to get her out of here." Jack cried. "He's still around."

"Sir, she'll be taken care of, we're in a hospital." One of the nurses explained. "The man who has done this has already been taken away and due care will be taken."

"She can not stay here." Jack screamed.

Dr. Scott came into the room when he heard the screams, and at first he understood what had happened. He felt terrible. He felt what Jack was feeling. She knew that leaving Kate there would not help her.

"I'm her doctor." He cleared his throat, he was shocked and out of action. "Hmm ... I'll discharge her." He wrote on a paper and handed it to the nurses.

They left the room and left Jack alone with the doctor and Kate. Jack was still crying. He caught Kate in his arms and cried over her.

"Jack, you might want to check her out." Dr. Scott remembered. "You have to see if she's hurt in any way."

Jack did not want to do anything but hold Kate. He could think of nothing, only the suffering she might be feeling.

"It would be good to do that now, that she's doped." He completed.

Jack wiped his own tears and nodded. It would have been even more terrible if Kate had been consciously going through this examination. Jack laid her down on the bed again. Kate shifted slightly.

He removed the blanket that covered her, and with pain in his heart began to examine every part of her body. Jack sniffed. "He didn't do."

"What?" Dr Scott looked up at Jack.

"I think he did not have the time, he could not do it. She only has bruises on her wrists and legs." Jack said with a little hope in your eyes.

Dr. Scott sighed in relief. Jack was not much happier, but he knew the worst had not happened.

"Take her home." The psychologist spoke softly. "Call me if you need anything." He left the room and closed the door.

Jack covered her again and placed her on his lap. The tears immediately returned to her eyes when she saw Kate try to move. A small moan came from her mouth from the effort she made to look at Jack. She knew he was crying. He stroked her face, she was crying too. Jack squeezed her tightly. What he wanted most was to take away the pain and fear she felt and transfer everything to him. It was more than fair. He kissed her head again and again, but he did not know what to say. He no longer knew if it would be okay with her, he could not promise to take care of her because he had not. He remembered what she had said in the morning. She said she did not want to go to the hospital. If only he had heard her. "I'm sorry, Katie." He spoke between loud sobs. "I'm so sorry I brought you here." Kate was crying but she did not know exactly why. It was all so blurred in her mind.


	20. What He Deserves

**I'm very happy that you did not throw stones at me, LOL**

 **Chapter 20! I can hardly believe we're so far! I did not think it would be such a great experience to share this with you.**

 **I hope you enjoy (:**

 **Love you guys s2**

* * *

Tom simply knocked on Ben's door without stopping. After many minutes, Alex opened the door, with an ipod in her hand.

"What is going on?" She seemed very annoyed at being interrupted by listening to music.

"Alex, where is your father?" Tom was panting, looking desperate.

"He's in his office .." She said as if it were something obvious.

"Okay, thank you." And he ran.

Ben was using the computer when his room was invaded by Tom.

"What the hell is this?" He looked up at the man. "Did you bring what I asked you?"

"I brought." Tom tossed the envelope with Kate's exams on Ben's desk. "But we have a problem."

"Let me look at this before." Ben removed some papers from the envelope and began to analyze them quickly. "She is sick?"

"I do not know, Ben .." Tom was getting annoyed, he needed to talk to Ben. He simply decided to release the information. "Pickett has been arrested, he will be executed tomorrow morning."

Ben did not look nervous, and not even surprised. "Who decided this?"

"The people at Barracks are going crazy. He attacked the girl in the hospital and then hit a doctor." Tom counted so fast that Ben barely understood what he was saying. "You have to do something about it."

"He asked for it." Ben spoke coldly.

Tom was puzzled. He was sure that Ben would try to help Danny, they were so close.

"Prepare the car for tomorrow. I'll need to go to Barracks in the morning." Ben put the papers back into the envelope.

"Are you going to try and get Danny back?" Tom asked.

"No, I'm going to Juliet's."

* * *

Jack was devastated. As she carried Kate home, all he thought was what the next few days would be like.

He stopped in front of the door before entering the house, dried his tears. Kate was asleep in his arms, he did not know what she remembered.

Jack finally opened the door. Juliet and Sawyer turned to see who had arrived. They saw an exhausted Jack, his eyes swollen and red around and a Kate with torn clothes, her wrists bruised, looking faint.

Juliet brought her hands to her mouth, her eyes filled with tears instantly. Sawyer ran to help Jack, he looked like he would fall apart from exhaustion if he spent another full minute with the girl in his arms.

Sawyer laid Kate on Juliet's lap, who was already seated on the couch, and sat down next to her. "What the hell happened, Doc?"

"Danny attacked her." Locke said from the door. He had just arrived.

"Oh my God." Juliet hugged Kate asleep. She began sobbing loudly. She was so angry. Kate did not deserve that. She had been through so many things, that was too much. She began to wonder what it would be like to be violated like that. She tried to think of what it would be like if it was her, but it was so terrible she could not even think.

"It was my fault." Jack spoke softly. "I forced her to go." His gaze was fixed on something on the floor, his gaze empty.

"Jack, you did what you thought was best." Locke tried to make him feel less guilty. "It could be my fault, too, because I took you out of the room, but Danny is sick, he will not stop until he's dead."

"I'm going to kill that bastard." Sawyer stood up. No one had ever seen him so nervous.

"James, please." Juliet cried. She held Kate in her arms like one of her family. Her tears trickled down to wet the brunette's hair.

Kate slowly opened her eyes and looked around. His vision was normal, but his head ached a little. She realized she was in Juliet's lap, but she did not understand why she was all sad. "Why are you crying?" Her voice hardly came out.

Everyone's eyes turned to her.

Juliet smiled at her, between her tears. She caressed Kate's face. "Because you're very precious, honey." Juliet sniffed. "And I want you to be very happy, okay?" The blonde kissed her head. Juliet's tears kept flowing.

Kate was confused. What was happening? She tried to get up, but she still felt a little dizzy.

Jack knelt in front of Kate to talk to her. "How are you feeling, baby?"

"Thirsty." She answered. Sawyer quickly went to the kitchen to get her a glass of water.

"Do you feel any pain?" Jack was so worried about her. He took her hand and hold it.

"Just my head .." Kate spoke softly as she reached for the glass of water Sawyer brought to her. She took a sip and handed the glass back to him.

"Katie, I'm going to take you to bed, okay?" He took her in his lap.

"But I just woke up." It was all very confusing and nobody explained anything to her.

"You've been through a lot today, don't you want to rest, baby?" Jack wanted her to recover.

"What happened today?" Kate started to panic. "What's going on? You're scaring me." Tears were born in her eyes, which moved desperately looking at each of the people in the room.

They were sure now that she didn't remember anything, the attack, Danny, the desperation she felt. Nothing. And she did not need to know, it would be better that way.

"It's just been a rough day, baby. I thought you're going to like going to bed, that's all." He tucked a lock of hair behind her hair. She was still staring at him, wanting to know what he was talking about."But you do not have to go to bed if you do not want to, okay?" He kissed her cheek and laid her head on him while he rocked her gently, almost making any movement.

Kate was still scared. She had just realized that her sweater was torn. She looked at Sawyer hugging Juliet, who controlled herself so as not to cry in front of the brunette.

Locke realized Kate knew he was hiding something from her, and shook his head silently as if to say, Have you learned nothing from what happened? He knew how stubborn Jack was, but it was already time to change.

Kate's eyes watched closely every detail of the environment and the way her friends were behaving. She was pretty sure that there was something wrong, she wanted to cry so much. "Jack, I think I want to go to bed." The tearful voice broke the silence.

"Are you sure, baby?" Jack felt so relieved that she herself had chosen to lie down. He needed time to deal with it, did not know what to do or what to say to Kate. Nobody there knew.

She nodded.

"OK." He stood up holding her tight in his arms and headed for the bedroom.

"So she does not remember what happened?" Sawyer asked Juliet.

"Does not mean it did not happen." Locke was alert and answered quickly. "It may seem like it's better she does not remember, but it will have consequences.

"What do you mean?" Juliet wiped away a tear that had just fallen.

"Everything that happens to us is stored in the unconscious of our brain." Locke looked from Juliet to Sawyer. "If she does not remember, there's no way to deal with her pain, but it is still there."

"Hell, John, do you want her to remember?" Sawyer frowned nervously.

"I do not want anything." Locke replied quietly. "But it's her life, it's not fair you decide what to do."

The atmosphere was heavy, there was a lot of tension on all sides. Juliet could not stand it any longer.

"I ... I'll see if they need anything." She grinned and walked into the bedroom, leaving Sawyer and Locke in the living room, not talking to each other. Each of them was within their own thoughts.

As she entered the room, Juliet found Kate wearing a Jack's t-shirt. She was leaning against the bed, knees bent, her legs pressed against her body. Jack was sitting on her side, stroking from her head to her back, sliding his hand slowly. Kate stared at the empty space, and Jack looked at her, as if expecting some reaction.

"It's all right?" Juliet sat down on the bed facing them. She knew that maybe she should not have asked, but the silence that prevailed in every room of the house was killing her.

"I told her." Jack spoke softly, pain in his eyes. "She wanted to know."

"Oh my God." Juliet whispered. Her face changed at once, worried to pity. She looked at Kate, a look so vulnerable in her eyes, looking so frail. Juliet approached the brunette and put her hand on her face. She watched as Kate's lower lip began to tremble and the blank expression turned to tears.

Juliet hugged her in a maternal way. She put Kate on her lap as she wept on her chest. Juliet used one of her hands to stroke Kate's head while the other hugged protectively. She was crying with her. Jack hugged them both with his arms, and tried to silence soothing words in Kate's ear, hoping it might help somehow.

Juliet realized that Kate was finally calming down as she felt her chest rise and fall more slowly against her. Jack felt terrible about what had happened but he was at least happy that she was not seriously injured, that she was there with them.

Jack took a long kiss on the brunette's head as he rubbed her arm. Juliet still held her tightly in her lap. Kate looked down, and even now she was not crying, every now and then some sobbing came out involuntarily.

"Are you sleeping here, Juliet?" Her voice came out fragile, almost as if she was going to break.

Juliet looked at Jack before answering, as if asking him what he thought. "You want me to stay here, my darling?" She asked lovingly as she combed her hands through Kate's hair.

She gave her a small nod at the same time Jack smiled and nodded silently. It was perfectly normal that she would rather sleep next to a woman after what happened.

"OK." She kissed Kate's forehead. "So let's lay you down here, and make you warm, right?" She helped Kate lie on her stomach and covered her.

Jack leaned over and kissed Kate's cheek. "Good night, baby"

"Are you leaving, Jack?" She whispered with devastation in her voice.

"I'm not, I'll be right here in the next room." He spoke in a reassuring way, placing his hand on her back.

"Please stay here." She almost begged.

Jack crouched on the side of the bed to talk to her. "Honey, do not you think Juliet will be embarrassed to have a man in her bedroom?"

"Please." She repeated. Kate was not thinking the words she was saying. She just wanted to feel safe, how she'd felt when the two of them hugged her.

Jack sighed and looked at Juliet. She moved her lips without making a sound, saying that everything was fine.

Juliet and Jack lay down, each on one side of the brunette. Kate moved closer to Jack, who hugged her, spooning. But she kept holding Juliet's hand until she fell asleep.

* * *

It was morning, and Danny Pickett was tied up in a chair awaiting his trial. In the Barracks, there were no police officers or judges, but there was a council, which would vote. They were waiting for Ben.

Until then the option they had was to perform Pickett. He had violated one of the most serious rules of the island, and only a miracle would get him out of this situation. He was now seen as a threat to all.

Ben was not planning to get more involved in this story. He and Danny were friends, but Ben knew he'd crossed over.

He drove across the village to the Barracks to talk to Juliet, but as he passed the house where the council was located, he decided to enter. He wanted to have a last word with Pickett.

"We thought Ben would not be coming in. We were almost giving the sentence." One of the older men spoke up.

"My vote will not change yours." Ben sat in his seat as he spoke.

"You're saying that ..." The lady on his side began.

"That if they decide to run it, I support it." Ben finished.

Pickett felt betrayed. Many times Ben had the request to do the dirtiest jobs and he had supported him, without speaking or asking anything. And now he would be murdered and Ben supported the council.

"Much Ben, the sentence has been set. Danny Pickett will be executed in an hour at Arrow Station." The older man who led the meeting completed. "We need someone representing the girl to be present, or herself."

"Let me call Jack Shephard." Ben suggested. "He'll enjoy watching it."

Two security guards lifted Danny Pickett from the chair he was in. They put him in a car, heading for Arrow Station.

* * *

The doorbell of Juliet's house rang. Sawyer rubbed his eyes as he was awakened by the noise. Yawning, he opened the door and woke up at once.

Ben was there.


	21. Arrow Station

Ben did not even wait to be invited in. He sat down on the couch quietly as if he owned the place. He has a white envelope in his hands.

"What the hell?" Sawyer could not hide his displeasure.

"Are you going to watch Pickett's execution?" He asked as if he were talking about a movie on TV.

Sawyer and Locke looked at each other, but did not say a word.

"Are not you going to answer me?" This was Ben's way of trying to disguise his nervousness.

"What did you come here for, Ben?" Locke asked straight.

"I already said." Ben picked up a biscuit that was on the table and ate. "Pickett will be dead in ..." He looked at the watch on his wrist. "..." forty minutes. They need someone connected to Kate to be there. "

"And why are you inviting us, you decided to suddenly become our friend?" Sawyer asked ironically.

"I thought I'd call Jack, but I can not see him here." He always kept the same serious expression as ever.

"So I guess we should go, James." Locke turned to Sawyer, smiling.

"Are you .." Sawyer would ask if John was crazy when he realized: Danny would pay for what he had done to Kate. Sawyer wanted to witness this, oh, how he wanted to.

Ben left the envelope on the coffee table, got into the car and Locke and Sawyer followed him. They were on their way to Arrow Station.

* * *

Juliet was awake at the sound of the bell ringing but did not bother her. She still had her hand held by Kate, and she did not want to take it away so as not to wake her. She turned on the bed and could see that Jack's eyes were open too.

"She really made us spend the night tight in that little bed, right?" Jack said laughing and Juliet laughed at the comment.

"Yeah, she really did." Juliet smiled at the sleeping Kate and kissed her head.

"Thank you so much, Juliet." Jack spoke softly. "For helping me with her. So many times I would not know what to do and you were there."

"It's all right." Juliet grinned. "Sometimes all a girl needs is another girl to talk to."

"This is so true." Jack laughed. He looked up at the ceiling and sighed before continuing to speak. "You know, Juliet, I'm thinking of going back with Kate to camp today, or no later than tomorrow. It does not make sense in being here."

"You can have life so much more comfortable here." Juliet looked at Jack as she stroked Kate's hair.

"We do not want to have a life here, Juliet." Jack controlled his voice. "We want to get off this island, come home."

"Jack, you know as well as I know how long this can take." Juliet's eyebrows furrowed in an expression of sadness.

"She needs to recover." Jack was worried about Kate. "She will not be able to get here."

Juliet and Jack noticed that Kate was awake listening to the conversation.

"Good morning, little one." Jack stroked Kate's cheek with his fingers. "Did you sleep well?"

"Stop talking about me like I'm not here." Her voice was drowsy, her face sulky and a few tears appearing in her eyes. It was hard for Kate to wake up in a good mood in those days.

Jack laughed. He knew Kate was like that when she woke up. "Awn, is anyone in a bad mood today, huh?" He began to tickle her.

"Stop." She tried to get out of his ticklishness, but she was already laughing.

Jack put his arms around her and gave her a long kiss on the brunette's cheek. Juliet smiled at the cute scene.

"Hey, you want to have breakfast in bed, honey?" She asked. It was an excuse for her to get out of there and leave them alone.

Kate nodded, her mood a little bit better.

"Ok, I'll be right back." Juliet got up and left the room, leaving Jack and Kate more comfortable without her presence.

She was excited to see Sawyer, she was already getting used to sleeping with him, as much as she always kept him from trying to do anything else in bed.

Juliet wondered when they would finally be together when she passed the room and it was empty. The pillows and blankets that Sawyer and Locke had worn during the night were still there, but they were not. They had left no messages. Juliet worried.

She went to the kitchen to make Kate's promised breakfast in bed, but she could not stop thinking about where Sawyer was now and why he left without telling her.

* * *

Kate snuggled into Jack when Juliet left. Jack did not expect that. He looked at her, looking so neatly in his arms and kissed her forehead.

"So you're not mad at me anymore?" He asked jokingly.

"I still am." Her voice was still sleepy. "But your embrace is so good." Her eyes met his. Eyes so bright, that so many times he saw crying, were now smiling at him. He could not resist.

"So you're using me, baby?" He spoke softly into her ear, teasing her as his hands slid down her hips. Kade nodded slowly, not taking her green eyes from his. "I think I can accept that." One of Jack's hands rose to the back of Kate's neck, and he bent his head slowly to fit his lips to hers. Jack saw Kate closing his eyes and he kissed her a little more intensely. The most delicious lips he had ever kissed. He stopped before Juliet came back, when Kate snuggled into him again, as she had been before.

"Ready to eat, honey?" Juliet entered the room with a large tray and placed it in front of Kate. It had various kinds of fruit, chocolate cake, bread with butter, waffles and orange juice. She had it right because she knew that Kate was not eating right, maybe with several options the brunette would become more enthusiastic about food.

"How many options!" Kate looked at Juliet in puzzlement.

"It's for you to try them all, okay?" Juliet tried to encourage her to eat. "Jack can help you finish if you let him." She winked at him, Juliet wanted him to have a good breakfast too.

* * *

Ben parked the car. Sawyer and Locke landed and looked around. The Arrow Station gate was already open and you could see some people coming in. They waited until Ben walked through the door so they would dare to enter as well. They followed the flow of people who walked through the endless corridors until finally they arrived in the exact room.

Danny was gagged and handcuffed in a chair. He wore only a pair of slacks, and he seemed to have gotten quite a lot because his body was full of marks. He looked exhausted and in pain.

Despite the situation it was impossible for Sawyer or Locke to feel sorry for that damn man who had made Kate suffer so much. What Sawyer most wanted was for him to feel more pain, to feel the dread he made Kate feel.

Ben indicated them some chairs for them to sit down. It was still a few minutes to go.

Locke was wondering how they would kill him. Was it poisonous, electric chair, shot in the head? As much as they felt that the Others had no human feelings, at that moment it was the only part of being there that they liked: the knowledge that they would not spare Pickett from suffering.

Ben sat down on the chairs below, where apparently the people on the Council were sitting.

Pickett seemed so defeated to see all those people watching him in that situation, but when he saw Ben, his friend watching him, he collapsed to tears. No one cared, he was treated like someone invisible there.

The white-haired man who had led the Council an hour ago was standing.

"Gentlemen, we will begin the execution of Danny Pickett."


	22. Game Over

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* * *

Juliet's idea had worked. Obviously Kate could not eat everything on the tray, but she ate better than she had eaten in several days. Jack could eat too, just as Juliet had planned.

"Thank you, Juliet." Kate thanked her with a smile.

"You do not have to, darling." Juliet smiled back.

In the living room, Juliet noticed the white envelope on the coffee table. She took it in her hands, looking for some identification but there was nothing, and the envelope was open. She took him into the kitchen, and left it on the side of the counter while she washed the dishes.

"Need help?" She heard Jack ask.

"Don't worry, it's alright." She answered. She still wondered where Sawyer might be. Had he left the envelope there for her? She decided to open it.

Jack and Kate sat on the couch and Jack turned on the TV. A football game was being broadcast, two teams unknown to Kate.

"Why do you want to go back to camp, Jack?" She asked, she had no interest in watching it so she preferred to talk.

"Is not that what you wanted, Katie?" He answered without taking his eyes off the TV.

"I think .. Juliet, Sawyer and Locke are coming back with us too?" She kept her eyes glued to Jack.

"Locke will go, I'm not sure about Sawyer, but Juliet is going to stay, honey, here's her house." He smiled at Kate and took her hand, which was on the cushion.

"I want to stay here, Jack." Kate did not feel safe anywhere else on that island but at least here she had everything she would have in the real world. And she did not want to stay away from Juliet, she was the only one who understood her most of the time. Even though Kate loved Jack and wanted to be with him, sometimes he wasn't so kind with her as Juliet used to be.

Jack turned to her and looked at her seriously. "Katie, it's not safe here, you saw what happened to you." He regretted the words he said as soon as he saw her eyes drop a tear. He had made her remember.

"And at the beach camp is it safe?" The now tearful voice began to swell.

"It'll be better for you if we go back, honey." Jack explained. He really thought she needed to get out of that environment where everything had happened.

"I know what's best for me." She tried to control the crying, but her tears were thick and she felt so much anger inside.

Jack wiped her tears, he tried to remain calm but he still could not deal with those emotional crises Kate had been having since everything happened. "Baby, I'm taking care of you, trust me, please. We'll be back only tomorrow morning, okay?" He stroked her cheek. "Then you have time to say goodbye to Juliet."

Jack was not listening her, he was not caring about her wants, again. Kate was so angry that Jack treated her like a child, as if she could not decide anything for herself. The anger she had just increased even more. Kate buried her face on the sofa, she did not want to talk anymore. It was no use. Jack would always do what he had decided before without thinking in what she wants.

"Katie." He shook her slightly. "Katie, look at me." Jack did not want to hurt her, but he did not realize that was exactly what he was doing. "Katie."

"I DO NOT WANT IT!" She bellowed. Kate was so angry. She squeezed the cushion she held so tightly that it ripped open.

Jack was startled, he'd only seen her so angry once, a while back when they'd finally kissed for the first time. "Kate, what is this?" He did not understand what he could have done to leave her like this.

"Leave me alone." She asked, crying. Her face buried in the torn cushion, hugging her own legs.

"Baby, are you sure you want to be alone?" Jack knew she was just upset and that it would soon be over. He rubbed her arms.

"Leave me alone." Kate repeated her voice muffled by the cushion. She sobbed.

"OK." He sighed. "When you want to talk, I'll be here." Juliet was in the kitchen, which had a great view of the living room, so Jack did not bother to leave Kate. She had asked to be alone, and he decided to respect her before the crying crisis got worse. Jack went to take a shower to relax a bit.

When Kate saw Jack leaving the room, she cried louder. She did not want him to leave, she actually wanted him to hold her, hold her and say it was okay, that they could stay at Juliet's house. But he did not. Kate realized that for the first time he did what she had asked for, but it was precisely the only time she wanted him to contradict her.

Her anger grew even wider. Why could not she express herself? Why could not she be like she was before? Her mind was so confused. Kate could not stand the anger, she grabbed the cushion and began tearing it even more, as she cried loudly and sobbed.

Juliet was reading the papers inside the envelope. It was about Kate. Juliet understood perfectly all the symbols and the language that was described there. It seemed to be the exams that Kate had done, but from what she saw there and from what she had studied about fertility, that was impossible. Kate was able to breed on the island and not die. No other woman was capable of this as far as Juliet knew. Kate was the only one.

She turned her gaze to Kate, sitting on the couch with her back to her. That's when she realized Kate was crying, so loud. She was so engrossed in her reading that she had not heard anything. Kate was destroying a cushion, the floor was already full of stuffing.

"Oh my God." Juliet was frightened by the scene. She thought Jack was with her.

She ran to Kate and sat down on the sofa facing her. She gently took the cushion from her hands and threw it to the floor. "Katie, what happened, honey?" She asked stroking her hair, trying to disguise how shocked she was with that sudden anger that Kate had and turn the TV off.

Kate was sweating, her breath racing, tears streaming down her face. She hugged Juliet. She needed a hug so much. She wanted to calm herself but she could not do it alone. Juliet set her into her lap. "Oh, Katie, come here." She was kissing Kate's head affectionately. "It's alright."

"I'm sorry, Juliet." Kate whispered through her sobs. "I'm so tired of my life." Juliet realized that she was trying to breathe more slowly but she could not. "I can not take it anymore."

Juliet slid her hand down her back as she slowly rocked her. "It's alright, honey, it's everything okay." She wiped her tears away. "You do not have to apologize for nothing." Juliet smiled at Kate. Even the brunette was frightened by her own reaction. "Can you tell me what happened, darling?"

Kate told her how she did not want to go back to camp, and Jack kept saying what he thinks it was the best for her, not hearing what she had to say. And how she asked him out and he really left. While she was tolding Juliet what had happened, she realized that it was not such a big problem, and she could managed to stop crying.

"If you think he's not listening to you, you have to tell him, honey." Juliet brushed the hair from Kate's face and neck so she could freshen up a bit. "I bet he does not realize, he just thinks about getting you safe."

"I know ..." Kate rested her head on Juliet's shoulder, which hugged her and rested her chin on her head, caressing her back affectionately.

Juliet knew that scary reaction was not what she is, she knew that Kate was frustrated. She had always been so independent, and now Jack kept her from making any decision on her own. No one likes receiving orders all the time, and with Kate it would not be any different. The crises of crying and the fits of anger happened when she felt incapable. Unable to make decisions or even express what she feels. Juliet realized that possibly everything that happened to her brought innumerable emotions that were now kept and that it was difficult for her to put all this out in words only. Jack needed to know how she felt. They needed to be very patient with Kate until everything was back to normal.

As she was hugging Kate in the silence, Juliet remembered what she had just seen in those papers. Was it true or would it have been forged? She wanted to go to the lab later to find out.

"So, you want to help me clean up this mess?" Juliet smiled at her so Kate would not think she was angry.

Kate sniffed and nodded. She was still sad, but was struggling to get better.

"Thank you, Katie. You're sweet." She kissed Kate's forehead.

* * *

"Gentleman, we will begin the execution of Danny Pickett."

Everyone stood up. Sawyer and Locke got up late because they were not expecting it. The man who led the meeting hit a hammer on a table and they all sat down.

"Danny Pickett will be executed for rape and attempted rape. Both crimes were against Katherine Anne Austen, survivor of the 815 Oceanic flight. The first time, about a week ago, he concluded the act in the cages located to the south The second time, Mr. Pickett attacked the victim Kate Austen at the hospital where he attacked her with no afraid in being discovered. The accused also knocked out Dr. Gibbs who tried to stop him from running away. We have concluded that Mr. Pickett is a threat to our society. This sentence was given this morning. Has anyone got something new to manifest? "

Sawyer and Locke could only hear people commenting on each other but no one spoke up.

"Someone to represent the victim?"

Sawyer and Locke looked at each other. Locke encouraged Sawyer to represent Kate. It was he who had spent every day with her in the cages. He would represent her better than Locke.

Sawyer stood up. "I'm going to represent Kate."

"Please, sit down in this chair, Mr. ..." The man leading the meeting paused, waiting for Sawyer to speak his name.

"Sawyer." He spoke safe.

"...Mr. Sawyer!" He finished. "We'll ask you a few questions." He looked at Sawyer as he sat down in the chair. "Did you see the victim after the crime? Did she reveal details of the crime?"

"I saw her, but no, she did not tell me anything." Sawyer had not asked Kate either. It was terrible for him to imagine her in that situation.

"Is the victim seriously injured?"

"She has some bruises on her body, but I do not think it's anything serious." He tried to remember.

"How psychologically hurt is the victim?"

"Psychologically she's badly hurt." It came to his mind a fragile Kate, extremely sensitive and dependent. So different, because of Pickett.

"As you can see, Dr. Pickett has spoiled someone's life, and deserves execution. Thank you, Mr. Sawyer." He hit the hammer again.

Two security guards lifted Danny and tied him to pins that were located on the wall. He was completely trapped, his hands and feet away, his face turned to the wall.

Sawyer had a privileged view of a sniper who positioned himself a few feet from Danny.

"Your last words, Mr. Pickett." The man asked her.

"I do not regret it." Danny almost whispered.

The shooter gave him more than ten shots on Danny, all over the body. Everything happened so fast that even Sawyer who was close to him could not keep up. Locke peered at Ben while Pickett was taking the shots. A blank face, Ben swallowed.

The security guards pulled the body and covered it with a tarp, pulling it out to be buried. People were slowly leaving the station. That was it.

Danny was dead.


	23. The Scape

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* * *

Juliet and Kate were finishing putting all the stuffing in a plastic bag when Jack appeared in the living room.

"Feeling better, Katie?" He asked as he bent down beside her.

She nodded but said nothing.

"Jack, can you go down to the kitchen and take a look at those papers on the table, please?" Juliet was referring to Kate's exams.

He frowned at the request, but was curious.

"OK sure." He gave Kate a small hug and a kiss on the temple, got up and went to the kitchen.

He easily found the envelope with two sheets of paper. Jack took the papers in his hand and easily recognized them as the exams Kate had done, but there was something new there. Jack sat down slowly in the chair with one hand on his forehead.

Juliet watched the scene from the room. She wanted to know Jack's opinion of it. She turned and saw Kate putting the last piece of stuff in the bag.

"There we go." She smiled at the brunette. "Honey, I'm going to put this in the kitchen trash and I'll be right back, okay?" Juliet tied the bag to prevent anything else from falling through the house. She turned on the TV and put the control on Kate's lap.

Juliet went into the kitchen and could not help but ask. "So, what do you think?"

"Where did you get that?" Jack did not answer what she had asked.

"They were on the living room table." Juliet threw the bag in the trash. "I did not understand how they were stopping here."

"Juliet, I saw the results of Kate's exams with her in the lab, and there was none of that in what I saw." Jack looked at her seriously.

"I thought we'd take her to the lab early this morning, when there's no one there." Juliet finally told Jack the idea she had.

"Juliet, this may be one of Ben's traps." Jack folded all the papers and put them back in the envelope. "He may have faked it."

"You never noticed his interest in Kate, Jack?" Juliet now lowered her tone of voice, she did not want Kate to overhear her. "That would explain a lot."

Jack sighed, what she said made a lot of sense. Ben had already imprisoned Kate twice, and kept asking her to do exams. He shook his head in agreement. "You're right."

Juliet looked back at Kate in the living room. She was now lying down, curled up like a ball on the sofa, not even looking at the television. She kept her gaze fixed on nothingness, looking so sad.

"Jack, look at her." Juliet had a look of sadness too. She felt so bad for Kate. How much her life had changed that last week. "We have to do something for her."

"I'll try to cheer her up." He got up and walked to the sofa. He sat down on the floor facing her, so he could speak in Kate's eyes. "Hey baby." Jack gently began to run his hand down and up her small back as he spoke.

Her eyes stopped looking at the toy plane in her hand and looked at Jack. "Hey." She answered softly.

"I was thinking, Katie, we could go hiking the same way we did that other day." He smiled at her as he continued stroking her back. "What do you think about it?"

"I do not feel well to go out." Kate was still upset. The only thing she thought now was that she did not want to have to go back to the beach camp and would have to go back. She did not even want to tell Jack that she would not get upset again.

"Is there anything you want to do now, honey?" Jack was trying. "We can do whatever you want." He smiled.

Kate shook her head.

"Katie .." Jack sighed. "I really want to make you happy, baby .. but I can not if you do not help me." He ran his hand over her face.

"I'm fine, really .." Kate replied looking down, her voice so low it almost did not come out.

Jack did not know what he could do for her. He looked around, as if looking for someone to ask for help. He could not bear to see her like this, he wanted to cry because he could not know what to do.

He stood up and sat down at the table with Juliet. They decided to give her some time.

A few hours passed and Kate was still there, lying down and looking at nothing, just like before. Juliet was already worried and decided to do something. "We need to go there, Jack. It's been a long time since she's alone."

They slowly approached her. Juliet crouched down on the side of the sofa and smiled to Kate. Jack seemed much more relieved to know now Juliet was with him there. "Hey, honey." Juliet spoke softly. "Is it okay if we sit here with you?"

Kate nodded. Juliet smiled at Jack, and looked at him as if giving a signal for him to approach Kate. He got it.

Jack hugged the brunette and snuggled her into his lap. She quickly hid her face in Jack's chest, and even though she made no sound, by the movement of her breath it was possible to see that she was crying. She was so emotional that Jack's simple act embraced her after she had spent so much time alone, brought so many feelings into her.

He gave her a long kiss on the head. "Baby, what's wrong?" He asked her softly.

"I'm not okay." Kate spoke through sobs. "I'm not okay." She repeated, answering the question he had asked her hours ago.

Jack did not expect that. "Shhh, baby, calm down." He stroked her head. "What is happening?" He looked at her freckled face. "Talk to me"

"I tried, but you did not hear me." Hiccups hindered her from speaking perfectly. Jack did not like the answer he heard.

"Hey, it's okay." Juliet interrupted the conversation when she saw Jack taking a deep breath, ready to argue with Kate. He was getting nervous. Jack felt that he was doing his best to help her to get better, and it seemed as though all her efforts were in vain. Juliet noticed in Jack's eyes that he was not well.

"Jack, can you get a glass of water?" She wanted him to get out a little to breathe, it would be good for him. Jack understood the idea of Juliet and was grateful for her request.

Jack put Kate on the couch and went to the kitchen. Juliet hugged her as he released her. "Katie, what's going on?"

She did not answer, just kept glancing at Juliet, tears streaming down her freckled face. She could not explain what she was feeling.

"Can you tell me?" Juliet tried again as she wiped her tears.

She shook her head.

"It's okay then, Katie, no problem, okay?" Juliet hugged her tightly. She imagined Kate had no specific motive for crying, but she had thousands of them prowling her thoughts every now and then.

Jack was back in the living room when Sawyer and Locke suddenly opened the front door.

Sawyer walked to Juliet, panting. "We need to go, now." He was all sweaty and dirty. His forehead was bruised, as if someone had hit something too hard on his head.

"Wait a minute, go where? Why?" Juliet was frightened by the image of Sawyer in front of her. She felt him pull at her arm for her to rise. Juliet still held Kate, who was even more frightened by all this.

Locke was waiting at the door, as if he were watching someone who was about to enter. He was dirty and sweaty just like Sawyer, but he had no signs of being hit.

Jack decided to intervene. "Sawyer, what's going on?" He tried to calm his friend. "It's getting dark, it's dangerous." He spoke slowly.

"We do not have time." Locke shouted from the door.

"Ben's coming, Doc." Sawyer finally spoke. "And it will not be good."

* * *

 **Seven hours ago**

Ben approached Sawyer and Locke as the execution was over. He gave friendly strokes to the two of them.

"Thank you so much for coming." Ben smiled. Sawyer never knew when that smile was ironic or true. "Let's get them back, right?" Ben walked behind them, indicating with their hands all the curves they were supposed to make to get to the van.

Locke and Sawyer got in the car, but this time two more men came in with them and Ben.

"These are Peter and Mark." Ben introduced them. "They're coming back with us to the Barracks."

Locke and Sawyer nodded at them, as if greeting them and quickly turned their bodies forward.

"Do not you feel bad about what just happened?" Locke asked, he was really curious.

"Well, he said he did not regret it." Ben started the car. "So I do not see much reason for him to have stayed alive."

Locke nodded. Ben was driving the car at a speed not so fast as it was coming, perhaps because now they had no time to arrive.

Sawyer watched the way. That damn island was really beautiful. Suddenly, he felt someone grabbing him from behind. It was the man Ben had introduced them as Mark. Sawyer tried to turn around and saw Peter grabbing Locke. Ben drove quietly as if nothing had happened.

Locke was almost suffocated, but with much effort managed to get a knife out of his pocket. He hit her hard on Peter's head, which collapsed on the floor of the van, fainting. Locke was free. He threatened Mark with the knife, but he did not panic. He had a gun, and now that he knew the knife, he was ready.

Mark tried to shoot Locke, while grabbing Sawyer with his other hand. Only one arm was easy for Sawyer to escape. He turned the boy's arm, which continued to fire uncoordinatedly. He missed all the shots.

The bullets were gone. Mark hit the gun hard on Sawyer's head, trying to nick him. He was dizzy, but he did not faint. His head was bleeding. Locke threw the knife at Mark, striking his heart. He also fell on the floor of the car, but he was dead.

Ben parked. "I've seen enough." He had a gun aimed at each of them.

Sawyer and Locke raised their hands, they were now unarmed.

"What is it?" Locke asked. "Why are you attacking us?"

"Why do not you give me what I want?" Ben returned the question. His whole body shook.

"What you want?" Locke tried to remain calm, despite the fright he had taken.

"The exams." Ben shouted.

"Kate's exams, Bug-eyed Freak?" Sawyer did not seem to believe it. "She's done it a hundred times. Leave the girl alone."

"Not the right one." He replied.

"Which one is right?" Sawyer asked in a voice mimicking Ben's. He was already getting angry.

Ben threatened to shoot Sawyer out of jest.

"You have 24 hours to give me the right exam. I'm already losing my temper." Ben looked from one to the other. "Juliet knows what I'm talking about." He got in the car, and started. "24 hours or you will regret it."

Locke and Sawyer saw the car pulling away in the distance. They needed to run to Juliet's house and get them out of there.

* * *

Jack quickly put his things in his backpack to leave. Juliet helped Kate pack her things into the little bag. Sawyer and Locke waited impatiently. Of the twenty-four hours that had already passed seven. They needed at least twelve hours to get to the beach camp and it was getting dark.

Juliet knew that what Ben wanted was to study Kate. This was the test he wanted. He already knew that she was the only woman on the island who could conceive without any problem. But he wanted to know why.

They would not let that happen. They would not let Kate be transformed into a Ben lab rat.

"Are you sure you're not coming, Juliet?" Jack asked as he put his pack on his back.

"I need to stay here to see what Ben will do." She answered. "I'll try to stop him from following you if that's what he does."

"You know that if he really wants to come after us, nothing will stop him." Jack spoke with the certainty of the world.

"I need to try." She closed Kate's backpack and approached her to put it on her back. Kate turned away, her eyes filled with tears. "Be careful, darling." She hugged Kate tightly. "It's going to be all right, okay?"

"You're not coming too?" Kate was desperate. She no longer understood what was happening, why would not Juliet come too?

"Katie, I need to stay to try to keep things in order, okay?" She held the brunette's face in her hands.

Kate was shaking her head, crying. "Please, Juliet, you must come." She hugged Juliet.

"We need to go." Sawyer called the room, he was impatient, it was already for them to leave.

Jack held Kate, and gently tried to get her arms to release Juliet. "Baby, Sawyer's waiting for us." He spoke softly in her ear.

Kate did not want to let go of Juliet. She was the only person who understood her there, she was the only one who knew how to make her feel better when she despaired. "Please, Juliet."

Her face was covered with terror, her body trembling, her tears falling and her screams desperate. Juliet could not watch it. She started to cry too. "Honey, it's going to be okay, I promise." She kissed Kate's head. "Jack will take good care of you."

"Hurry, we need to get out of here." Sawyer was hurrying with screams.

"Katie, we need to go." Jack pulled her with a little more force. "Baby, please."

"No, please, I do not want to go." She cried a lot. Kate really felt physically safe with Jack, but psychologically she just felt safe with Juliet. Jack still did not know how to deal with her, and he often made her even more nervous. Kate knew that she needed both of them to feel completely safe.

"You have to go, honey." Juliet was crying, too. For the first time she tried to get Kate to let her go. "It's for your good."

Sawyer strode to the bedroom. "Why are you taking so long?" He saw Kate crying, begging Juliet to go with them while Jack tried to take Kate away without violence. Juliet wiping her own tears. "Why are not you coming?" He asked her.

"James, it's complicated, I ..." She began to explain but was interrupted.

"Blondie, I did not come here to save all of us and not save you either." He reached for her and took one of her hands. "Look at her, she needs you." He showed Kate weeping. "I need you."

Juliet took a deep breath. Her tears turned to tears of joy. It was the first time Sawyer had done anything more important to show that he liked her.

"Screw up what happens here in this village." He looked into her eyes. "You're not one of them anymore, you're one of us."

"That's right." Juliet hugged Sawyer, who kissed her right there. Kate hugged her, so relieved. She kissed her head. "I'm coming with you, honey." She smiled at her, stroking her face.

Juliet quickly packed up her things, not forgetting to get two guns she always left behind when Locke rushed them. "It's getting too dark for us to leave, if not now, we can only leave in the morning."

"We're leaving now." Sawyer stated. He was holding Juliet's hand. Jack was hugging Kate.

Juliet turned off the light as they left the house. They were running away.


	24. The Whispers are Bad

**I'm so sorry that I could not upgrade over the weekend. ):**

 **I had a huge test in school today and I had to study hard to do well, fortunately I think I did. (:**

 **It was so good to read your reviews, I never thought I could be good in writing and I know I have a loooot to improve, but reading from you that I am getting better makes me very happy. Thank you so much! s2**

 **I hope you enjoy the new chapter (:**

* * *

It had been a while since they were walking in the woods. The temperature had dropped sharply. Locke led them, walking ahead. He had a flashlight, just like Sawyer and Jack. It was already dark, the night had come, and the fact that they did not know if they were being followed would make everything even more frightening.

They heard a noise. They all immediately froze in place. Jack can feel Kate clutching the fabric of his T-shirt. He hugged her tighter. Sawyer and Juliet were in a position of attack with the gun in their hands, looking around.

A little owl flew. This was the noise.

"Son of a ..." Sawyer complained.

"Is everything okay, Katie?" Jack looked at her and asked. He wanted to make sure everything was fine with her.

She looked at Jack. "Can we stop?" Kate asked. "It's been hours since we've been walking .."

"Oh, Kate, my dear, it's not safe to stop now." Locke heard and began to explain before Jack even said anything. "We need to look for a more open area to camp." He looked around. "If we go camping here to spend the night is suicide, the forest is very dense. The chances of not seeing someone following us are much bigger."

She clung to Jack again. She was tired, carrying that heavy backpack and her feet hurt. She could not remember the path being so long until the beach camp.

"Baby, you did not answer me. Are you feeling all right?" Jack bent down a little to speak, looking into her eyes, sliding his fingers down her cheek.

"I'm just tired and cold ..." she complained, her voice bent to tears.

"It's okay, Katie, we'll sort this out, okay?" Jack lifted her and rested her buttocks on his arms.

"You do not have to do this, Jack, I do not ..." Kate spoke softly, her voice still tearful. Even in the dark, he can see that she blushed.

"Give me your backpack, Freckles." Sawyer interrupted her. He approached them and gently removed it from the brunette's back.

"It's alright." Jack stroked her back, now free. "Just try to get some rest, okay?" At heard that, she finally relaxed. Slowly her legs went one to each side of Jack and she rested her head on his shoulder. He kissed her head and tried to put his free arm around her to warm her up.

"Thanks." she said. Kate felt relieved, she was quite frightened, and with Jack holding her she felt much safer now.

They walked for about another hour, until Locke finally stopped. A region with only a few trees, probably half the way to their destination.

"I believe it's good for us to spend the night here." He said looking around.

"We should build a bonfire." Sawyer asked. "It's freaking cold here."

"A fire will attract attention, but it's too cold for us not to make one." Locke said as he began to gather pieces of wood from the floor. "But we're going to need to alternate in shifts. I can keep the first while you sleep." He smiled.

"Do not you get tired, Locke?" Juliet asked, panting. She was already exhausted, she sat down to catch her breath.

"Not when I have fun." He smiled at her as he gathered another piece of wood.

Sawyer gave Juliet a quick kiss and set the backpacks down to help Locke with the fire.

Jack wanted to help but realized that Kate had slept. He walked over to Juliet and crouched down to talk to her. "Hey, can you stay with Kate until we finish the fire?"

"Sure, Jack, but you should get some rest." Jack put Kate slowly down on the floor with her head on Juliet's lap. "You carried her a good part of the way."

"I am fine." Jack smiled. "I'll be right back."

It was no use talking to him. Jack would not stop, he would never admit that he was tired. His willingness to help was always greater than any tiredness.

"God you're freezing." Juliet spoke to the sleeping Kate. She tried to get her off the ground, but she was heavy for Juliet to move. The movements woke her up. "Oh, I'm sorry honey." Juliet said when she realized that.

Kate sat down, sleepy. She folded her legs and wrapped her arms around herself to try to warm herself up. Juliet opened her backpack and pulled out a cold sweater.

"Put this on, darling." Juliet helped Kate put on her coat. She put an arm around her. "Better, huh?" She smiled.

Kate nodded. "You think we're safe?" Kate asked as she watched Jack and Sawyer trying to light the fire with John.

"I think we'll be fine, honey." She was looking at Kate, stroking her hair. "Do not you think?"

Kate shook her head. "I think as long as we're on the island, it will never stop."

Juliet could see her expression of fear. She knew that Kate was right, Ben was not the kind of person who gave up easy on things, and she knew he would get very angry when he found out they had run away.

"Hey honey, do not think about it, okay?" She laid Kate's head on her shoulder. Juliet did not know what else to say. Kate did not say anything either. The silence prevailed until the fire flickered.

Locke remained where he already was. He would do the guard, while Jack and Sawyer walked toward the girls.

"Hey, you're up, Freckles." Sawyer joked with Kate as he sat down next to Juliet and hugged her. It was so much better now that they had fire to warm up. Sawyer did not want to sleep because the next shift was already his. Juliet laid her head on his shoulder, she did not want to leave him alone while she slept. Even though Locke had woken up, Sawyer and Juliet were concerned that only one of them was on alert.

Kate smiled, still sleepy. Jack hugged her from behind and kissed her temple. "Let's go to sleep, Katie?" He spoke with a sweet voice in her ear. She nodded and closed her eyes. His voice was irresistible to her, especially when he spoke in her ear like that.

Jack laid his head on his backpack, and Kate lay on his arm. He pulled her closer to his body. "Are you comfortable, baby?"

"By the circumstances I think so ..." She laughed.

Jack laughed with her. "I missed this laugh, do you know that?" He looked into her eyes as he caressed her face.

She nodded without taking her eyes from his. Jack gently kissed her lips and Kate smiled. "I like it.." She said timidly and blushed.

"When do I kiss you?" Jack laughed, finding the way she said that the cutest thing in the world.

"When you hold me like that." She snuggled into his chest and closed her eyes. Her voice was too soft and sleepy.

Jack kissed Kate's forehead and pressed her against his body. "That's good.. Because I love to hold you like this, Katie." He whispered into her ear. She shivered at his voice but kept her eyes closed. It was already hard for her to open it.

A few hours passed and Sawyer changed his shift with Locke. Juliet had tried to stay awake but she was very tired and fell asleep.

Sawyer was almost asleep, he was so sorry he had not taken the time to rest. It was hard for him to keep his eyes open and intent. They were heavy and almost out of control.

"Do you want me to stay awake?" Locke asked when he saw the difficulty he was having.

Sawyer shook his head to wake himself. "Don't worry, I am fine."

Locke lay down, but he was still worried that Sawyer was really tired.

A few minutes passed, and Sawyer still struggled with himself to overcome sleep, when he began to hear whispers. Many whispers, as he had heard before.

He tried to understand what they were saying but there were many voices at the same time, male and female voices. Sawyer turned from side to side, trying to find someone who might be talking to him.

There was no one. He realized that it was the whispers he had heard before. Sawyer turned and saw that Kate was awake, sitting, hugging her own legs. She was shaking.

"Do you hear that, Freckles?" Sawyer asked, startled.

She nodded. It was the same whispers they had heard before being caught by the Others, the first time. Kate was crying in despair. She shook Jack to wake him up.

"Jack." She called him, frightened. "JACK."

He woke up, kind of lost. He saw Kate shed tears in front of him. Jack sat down, not knowing what was happening.

"Hey hey, Katie, what's wrong?" He placed her on his lap and hugged her. "What scared you like that?" Jack could feel her small body shaking as he held her.

"Did not you hear, Doc?" Jack could see that Sawyer was too scared to hear his trembling voice.

"Hear what?" He had not heard anything, had just woken up. He was more concerned with calming Kate then.

"The whispers." Sawyer revealed.

Jack sighed. "You must be tired, that's all. I did not hear anything." He tried to reassure them. "Lie down, I'll cover your shift." Jack offered. He imagined that it was all their imagination.

"Please, let's get out of here, Jack?" Kate asked as she cried.

"Baby, calm down." Jack laid her on his lap. "Nothing's going to happen to you, okay?" He caressed her face. "You're tired, you just need to rest and everything is going to be fine."

"I can not sleep." Kate was terrified, she could not stop crying.

"Yes, you can." He kissed her head. Jack tried to find a position where she was more comfortable in his lap. "I'm going to stay awake and nothing bad will happen to you, okay?"

Sawyer knew what he had heard, but as the whispers had stopped now, he decided that maybe he should listen to Jack. Maybe they were just really tired and listening to things.

He sat down next to Juliet, who woke up with the movement. "What is going on?" She asked, her voice sleepy.

"Tomorrow I'll tell you everything, do not worry, sweetheart." Sawyer replied. He did not have the strength to explain anything now, he needs urgent sleep.

Juliet heard Kate's cry and turned. She saw Jack holding her, and the inconsolable brunette sobbing.

"Is she okay?" Juliet walked over to where Jack and Kate were and sat facing them. She rubbed her back. "What happened?"

"Sawyer and she heard whispers, and now she can not sleep." Jack summed up as he held her.

Juliet went pale. "Whispers?" She lowered her voice. "Jack, this is not good. That means the Other..."

Something very fast passed in front of them.

Juliet fell in front of them, fainting. Jack looked at her in astonishment as Kate cried out in alarm. Juliet had a dart tucked into her neck. Kate's cry woke Sawyer and Locke. Sawyer fired two shots in the direction from which the darts came. It was in vain.

Another dart struck Locke's leg when he tried to approach Juliet. They were alarmed. Sawyer quickly caught Juliet in the arms, and they ran uncoordinated. Jack was pulling Kate by the hand while she cried non-stop. Locke ran with difficulty, the place in his leg burned a lot.

They ran into the woods, hoping no dart hit them any more. One or the other passed near them and they saw it buried in the ground.

They hid behind a large tree with thick branches. Locke looked up. "We should climb up and hide up there." He was panting, his leg hurt a lot.

"Good idea." Jack nodded.

Locke began to climb with difficulty. When he was well positioned, he reached out for someone else to come up.

Jack looked at Kate, her face hidden in his chest. "Honey, it's your turn." She was crying, shaking her head, she did not want Jack to let her go. "Katie, please." Jack lifted her, and Locke pulled her up. The next one was Sawyer. Jack grabbed Juliet so he could climb, and after he was up Sawyer pulled her up too. Jack was the last one to climb. It was a little difficult for him to balance, he was not used to standing on trees. He moved sitting across the branch as Juliet was. Jack measured her wrists.

"She's fine, probably it was a sedative." He said, his voice too low not to draw attention.

"What about Locke?" Sawyer asked. "Why did not he sleep?"

Jack glanced at John's leg. It was red, unlike Juliet's neck. "They are different substances." Jack concluded. "This one looks more like a poison."

"Poison?" Locke worried.

"I'm not sure, but let your leg down. It will make it harder to spread." Jack suggested.

Locke obeyed. He leaned against the tree, still. "What kind of poison would that be?"

"Do not worry, Locke." Jack realized he was worried. "I do not think anything very dangerous, just something used to cause temporary pain."

Sawyer also settled on the branches. He held Juliet in his arms affectionately. He was relieved it was just a sedative, so she would wake up and it would be all right.

Jack looked around and did not see Kate. It was when he heard her crying, softly, on a branch just above them. She was very good at climbing trees. She was sitting there with no difficulty in maintaining her balance ever with her legs folded.

He stood, always holding where he could, and rested his hands on the branch where she was sitting. "Baby, what are you doing alone up there?"

"I do not know, I'm so scared." Kate spoke as she cried.

"Come here, Katie." Jack reached out for her. "I can not get up there to be with you. I'm not good at this as you are."

She wiped her tears with the sleeves of her sweater. With any problem she was soon close to Jack. He held her and placed her standing on the same branch where he was. "There you go." He smiled at her.

Suddenly they heard footsteps on the floor, just above them. They could see three men walking around, looking around, as if searching for something. They were looking for them. Sawyer and Locke recognized one of those men as Peter, who had tried to arrest them while they were with Ben.

Jack felt Kate's breathing quicken. He put her head on his chest so she would not make a sound or see anything to scared her even more.

Sawyer pulled the gun and shot Peter. No one was expecting that. The other two men soon realized where they were hiding. Locke used Juliet's gun to shoot one of them that was starting to climb the tree they were. He tried to shoot the other, but only hit him in the arm. Sawyer shot him, hit his back straight. He also fell, dead.

"What the hell, why did you do that?" Jack asked nervously. "Now they will come back much more prepared." He put a hand to his head. Why was Sawyer so impulsive?

"They were going to see us here." Sawyer replied as if it were obvious. "Did you want me to wait until they got us?"

"It's okay, now there's nothing we can do." Locke said nervously. "Let's rest. It's a long road we still need to do tomorrow."

Jack thought to respond but gave up. He sat down with Kate, looking for a way to get them comfortable. He made her sit between his legs and lean her head against his shoulder. It was an easy way to hold her and still did not feel he was about to fall.

Kate was still shaking, frightened by everything that was happening. Jack put his arms around her and rested his lips on her head. "Shh, close your eyes and do not think about what happened, okay, baby?" He knew that was impossible, but maybe she could relax a bit.

None of them could sleep, not after the attack they had suffered. They should continue walking, but the fatigue was too great. Locke still felt the sting in his leg and Juliet was sedated. They decided to wait until dawn.

* * *

It was just terrible to see the sun rising. The fact that they knew they was still half-way to the camp was already exhausting enough.

Juliet opened her eyes but was still half unconscious. Locke came down from the tree, his leg was already fine now. He helped Sawyer with Juliet. As she was moved from one place to another, Juliet went back to normal.

"Blondie, thanks God you're fine." Sawyer hugged her as he put her down.

"What happened?" It was a little difficult for her to keep her eyes open, her head hurt a lot.

Sawyer explained to her but they needed to continue their way. Locke held out his hand so Kate could get off the tree. She could do it without help, but she did not want to let go of Jack. He had a hard time to get down with her but after some effort and with Locke's help, he succeeded.

Juliet could not believe she'd been hit, she could not remember anything from that moment she was talking to Kate and Jack. Sawyer helped her walk while Locke stayed ahead like the night before, guiding them. Jack and Kate were the last ones.

Walking for hours, some of them could not stand the exhaustion anymore. Sawyer could no longer stand for much longer, he had not slept for nearly two days. Kate was dehydrated and there was no more water in the bottles. Jack could not bear to carry her much longer.

They stopped under a shadow, it was impossible to continue like this. The sun was already beginning to get stronger, which made everything more difficult.

When they stopped, they heard voices. They were from the other survivors, his friends. The beach camp should have been less than two hundred meters ahead of them.

Locke and Juliet supported Sawyer on either side, so he could walk there. Jack used his last strength to reach the camp carrying Kate in his arms.

They saw the tents, people happy in see them again, the known rough sea.

They were finally at home.


	25. One Death a Night

**Chapter 25!**

 **I'm looking forward to hearing from you what you think about it. I hope you enjoy it (:**

* * *

Hurley saw them walking away and yelled at Sayid. "Dude, I think they came back." He had a big smile and pointed at them.

Sayid looked where Hurley was pointing and realized how tired they were. "Bring water." He asked Hurley. "Jin!" Sayid beckoned for him as he ran toward them.

Hurley reached for a few bottles of water and ran to try to catch up with Sayid and Jin.

They finally arrived where Sawyer, Juliet, Locke, Jack and Kate were. Sayid hurried to carry Kate because Jack was already doing more than he could. Jin and Hurley helped Sawyer so that Juliet and Locke could get rid of the weight of him.

"Are you all right?" Sayid asked.

They took them to a nearby shade on the beach.

Jack nodded. "Kate and Sawyer need water." He soon replied, panting. He sat on the floor. Sayid put Kate gently lying on the floor, she was unconscious.

"Kate." Sayid called her patting her cheek. "Kate." He was trying.

Jack put her head on her lap so that she stood a little higher and took a bottle of water from Hurley's hands. Slowly he poured large drops of water into her mouth.

Hurley distributed the bottles to Sawyer, Juliet and Locke as well. Sawyer after drinking some water already felt a little better, just like the others.

Jack continued to give Kate water until she coughed, she had choked. Sayid quickly sat her down for the cough to pass. She looked around, not knowing where she was. Jack hugged her.

"It's okay, Katie." He stroked her back. "We arrived."

She was breathing fast, still a little frightened by the sudden awakening, but Jack still held her and gave her more water to drink.

"Guys, you look exhausted." Hurley noted. "Where have you been?"

"Long story." Juliet replied. She stroked Sawyer's back, was already seated next to her.

"They can tell us everything after they rest." Sayid said. They did not have the energy to discuss everything that had happened there at that moment.

Juliet and Sawyer went to her tent. Locke went to his own tent and Jack took Kate to his tent. He did not feel ready to sleep, there were so many things going on. At any moment they could suffer an attack.

Jack entered the tent and soon saw the makeshift bed. It was exactly the way he had left it. He laid the brunette there, her body warm, probably from the dehydration she had suffered.

"Hey, let's get this sweater off?" Jack realized that she needed to cool down. "You're all sweaty, baby." Kate nodded, but did not get up. She was feeling weak. Jack gently took off the sweater she wore with her lying down, leaving her wearing a tank top. "Better, huh?" He kissed her forehead and smiled.

"Are not you going to bed, Jack?" She asked, her voice groggy. She was trying to turn around, but it was difficult, her body was weak.

"I do not feel like sleeping right now, Katie, but I'm going to stay here with you all the time, okay?" Jack spoke very calmly, pulling her hair away from her face.

"Just close your eyes." He whispered to her. "Rest a little, sweetheart." Jack kept stroking her back in a circular motion as he watched her sleep. He thought of everything that was going on, what the next days would be like, what Ben was planning.

Jack was lost in thought when he heard Sayid calling him.

"I'm sorry, I saw you're awake." Sayid saw Kate asleep and lowered her voice, almost whispering. "Are not you tired?"

"I am." Jack nodded. "But I'm more worried about what might happen." He started to vent.

"What do you mean?" Sayid asked.

Jack led him out of the tent, a few yards away, where they could talk better without bothering to wake Kate up. He told Sayid everything that had happened, how Kate and Sawyer had been imprisoned and Ben cheated them to get a new surgery. He told him about the tests Kate had done and how possibly she was the only woman on the island who would have no problem getting pregnant there. Jack told him about how Ben wanted to study her, probably to find out what she had, but she was too traumatized to go through any other kind of thing.

"So now he's after her?" Sayid was absorbed with so much information.

"We do not know, but meeting Ben, he will not give up like this." Jack was visibly worried.

"Well, we need to keep our guard." Sayid was trying to think of something. "I do not believe Ben would invade the camp himself, he would send someone."

"Absolutely." Jack nodded.

Jack felt a little more relieved to know that Sayid now knew everything and was willing to help. They continued talking for a long time on how they would be on the alert so they would not be surprised by Ben. Jack felt the weariness strong now that most of his concern had been shared with Sayid. He was thinking of returning to the tent when he saw Kate coming out of the tent.

"Katie, where are you going?" He walked toward her.

"I woke up and could not find you." She cried, frightened. "I was so worried, you said I'd stay there." She looked visibly desperate.

Jack hugged her. "It's alright." He was trying to keep her quiet. "I was just talking to Sayid right there." Jack showed her where Sayid was, still sitting. "But now I'm going to go back with you to the tent, okay?" He stroked her face with his thumb.

Kate was calmer, but still kept her eyes startled. Sayid realized it was time for him to do his own thing again. Kate needed attention. Jack wrapped his arm around her until they reached the bed again.

"Did you have a nightmare?" Jack asked as he laid her down again.

"No, it was just too hot." She answered softly. And it really was. The tent smothered the heat all in, and did not ventilate very well. Kate was still sweaty.

Jack took off his shirt before he lay down.

"Can I take this out?" Kate asked, awkwardly, showing off her pants. The fabric was very thick, and she was having trouble cooling herself off.

"Of ... of course, Katie." Jack replied stammering a little, he was a bit embarrassed at her question but knew the heat was really over the edge. "You want me to help you?" He grinned, trying to hide the excitement he had.

Kate nodded, smiling. She liked Jack and seeing that he was excited about these little flirtations made her happy. Not that she wanted to flirt at that moment, but it had turned out to be flirting and it was being fun.

"OK." He kissed her close to the earlobe, making her shiver. His hands slid down her neck, down her belly, to her hips. Jack continued to tease Kate, kissing her all over her neck as his hands worked to open the button and zipper of the jeans she wore.

Kate moaned softly as Jack slowly pulled her pants off. "What do you think about taking off the tank top too, honey?" He whispered into her ear, still kissing her neck. "You'll be so refreshed."

She could not resist the touch she was receiving. She simply nodded, eyes closed, enjoying every minute of it. Jack moved his lips and touched hers, softly. He carefully removed the tank top. Kate was wearing only a bra and panties.

"It's not fair just getting my clothes off." She spoke, her voice shaking, with a few moans coming out without her allowing it.

"You know I think you're right, baby?" Jack smiled at her. He lowered his lips, giving her many kisses all over her belly, to the maximum he was allowed to do before he touched some fabric. He pulled back his pants. Jack only wore boxers.

He lay down next to Kate, spooning her. It was so good to feel her skin on his, so soft. As much as Jack was very tired, his hands still had not stopped. They caressed the brunette's entire body. He kissed her shoulders, and she felt herself shivering with each kiss. Jack did not know how much she would or was not prepared to go beyond that. He decided to take a chance and tenderly began to slide the straps of her bra down. Kate did not seem to be frightened. She even helped him remove the piece of underwear. Her back was totally naked now. Jack slid his hands down her back to her belly, but when he tried to raise his hands a little to her chest, Kate froze. Jack noticed the sudden change in behavior. She kept her hands close to her body, trying to hide, preventing him from seeing any more intimate part of her.

"Kate, what do you think about sleeping?" He asked, placing his hands now in her hair, slowly caressing her. Jack wanted Kate to know that he would never force her into anything. He wanted her to feel comfortable with him.

She did not answer. Jack saw the sadness in her face. Kate tried to hold the cry. She did not feel well to continue but she felt bad about interrupting Jack.

Jack took the tank top and covered her with it. "Baby, are you crying?" He worried. She was not crying until he asked. "Hey, you do not have to cry, Katie." He kissed her head and helped her put the purple tank top back on.

"I wanted you to like me." She spoke crying. "But I can not do this now, Jack, I can not." Kate buried her face in her hands.

Jack's heart squeezed as he heard what she had just said. "Hey ... baby, I already like you. I love you." He placed her on his lap, and laid her head on his shoulder. "You do not have to do anything you do not want for me, or for anyone to like you, you hear?" Jack wiped her tears with his thumb. She was still sobbing and did not answer him. "Did you hear, baby girl?" He repeated, smiling and tightening her waist to tickle her. Kate laughed shyly and nodded. He kissed her forehead and offered her more water. She still needed to hydrate her body, especially since she'd just cried.

Jack laid her back on the bed and lay facing her. "I love you, Katie. You do not have to do anything to make this feeling grow." He ran his finger down her freckled face. "Just be you, okay?" He smiled.

Kate sniffed. "I love you too."

He snuggled her closer to him. Kate quickly relaxed and went back to sleep. Jack was also so tired, that even with the hot body of the brunette on top of him, it did not take long for him to fall asleep.

* * *

They have been slepping for almost a day. It was morning and Jack woke up with a very large movement. Several voices noisy and crying. Jack looked to the side and Kate was still sleeping, peacefully. He covered them with a sheet when he saw Sayid approach.

"Did someone die." He was panting, it seemed that he had run up there to give her the news.

"Who?" Jack was startled. "How?"

"I do not know his name, but he was hanged." Sayid replied. "Charlie found him near his tent today, still hanging from a tree."

Jack put his hands to his head. "Do you think that.."

"Ben." It ended before Jack finished the sentence. "I think you're doing the same thing you did when you wanted Claire." Sayid was convinced of what he was saying. "They're going to kill one person a night until they get Kate back."

Jack shook his head in disbelief. He looked at Kate again. She was so safe there at his side. "What do you think we can do?"

"Shifts," Sayid suggested. It was the only thing he could think of right now.


	26. Another One

**Thank you so much for the time you spend reviewing, I really love reading everything you write.**

 **Answering one of the questions: No, Kate still does not know about the outcome of her exam, I think it will be shocking when she finds out. O=**

 **I'm sorry if I've been repetitive, but I wanted to say again that I love you guys and that I hope you like Chapter 26 (:**

* * *

Shifts? Jack thought to himself. He knew Sayid was trying to help but that idea was too simple for everything Ben was capable of.

"Is Juliet already awake?" Jack asked. He planned to talk to her, Juliet knew Ben and maybe he could help him better.

"Yes, she and Sayer woke up a few hours ago." Sayid replied.

"Could you ask her to come here?" He did not want to let Kate sleep there alone.

"Sure, I'll call her." Sayid replied and quickly turned, ran for Juliet.

Jack got up and put his clothes back on. He looked at Kate, she was still asleep, so innocent. He did not know until when he could hide everything that was happening to him, especially if the deaths continued

Juliet announced that she had come knocking on some of the woods that supported the tent. "I'm here." She smiled, speaking quietly so as not to wake Kate.

"Did you know what happened?" Jack asked her without delay.

"Yes, I knew .." Juliet looked worried. "Sayid told me what he thinks about it. From what I know about Ben it's quite possible he's right." She could not disguise the look of disappointment.

"We need to prevent this from happening, we can not lose anyone else." Jack spoke louder because of the desperation he was feeling.

Juliet would respond, but she saw that Kate had opened her eyes. Jack had woken her up. "Hey, look who's awake." She smiled at Kate. It was her way of keeping Jack from talking about it in front of the brunette.

Jack turned and saw Kate. She blinked slowly, still sleepy. The sheet curled around her legs, making her almost no longer covered. She was lying on her side, curled up, looking at them. Kate smiled sleepily as she watched them looking at her.

"Did you sleep well, dear?" Juliet asked approaching her, disguising the real reason she was there.

Kate nodded and turned away.

Jack laughed. "Katie, time to get up" He tickled her and she cringed. "You slept for over 18 hours, baby." He kissed her head as he ran his hand down her back.

"All this?" Kate asked, her voice muffled by the pillow.

"All that." Jack said, he and Juliet laughing.

Kate turned and stretched. "I want to take a shower." She said as she sat on the bed.

"I can help you with that in a bit, darling." Juliet smiled at her. "We just need to talk to Sayid first."

"OK." Kate smiled. She grabbed her pants back and was already standing, waiting to leave.

Jack and Juliet looked at each other. "Baby ..." Jack stepped closer to her and put his hands on her shoulders. "Do not you want to spend time with Sun while we talk to him?" Jack did not want her to overhear the conversation they had with Sayid. "I mean, she must be missing you." Jack smiled.

Kate looked at Jack suspiciously. Her eyes moved to Juliet, then back to Jack. "What are you hiding from me?" She folded her arms, angry.

"Nothing, Katie." He hugged her and kissed her neck, causing her to close her eyes. "That's Sayid's stuff, okay?" He smiled at her, putting her face in his hands.

She sighed, visibly annoyed.

"Come on, Sun is eager to see you, honey." Juliet smiled at her, but Kate knew it was to distract her from something.

Jack grabbed her by the waist and walked with her until they reached the tent of Sun.

Sun really was happy to see Kate, hugged her and quickly they were already talking as if nothing had happened.

Juliet and Jack followed their way to Sayid. "Do you think Sun will tell you about her death tonight?" Juliet asked.

Jack turned his head to look where they were. "I doubt it, Sun knows she is not very well. But you know, I think it's going to be good for Kate to stay with her best friend for a while."

Juliet smiled.

* * *

Sayid was already meeting some men on the island. Sawyer, Locke, and Jin to decide how they would take turns.

"I like the idea of shifts." Jack said as he joined them. "But I think we need something more."

"I've known Ben for three years." Juliet spoke up. "He's already prepared to deal with shifts, this has happened before, right?"

"What do you suggest?" Sayid was curious.

"Well, I do not know .." Juliet had not had that much time to think about it, she was talking about what was on her mind at that moment. "Maybe if we could get the person who's attacking us and offer a trade for Ben." She explained slowly. "That person for peace."

Jack agreed at the thought. "Sounds good to me."

"So tonight we'll be ready." Sayid said, sure it would work. "Let's wait until the guy comes."

All agreed.

Sawyer approached Juliet as soon as the meeting was over. "You're pretty smart, blondie." He teased her, hugging her.

"You have not seen anything yet." She threw back the answer to him

As much as no one expected to see Sawyer and Juliet together, they were doing very well. Sawyer had changed his way a little, and Juliet had always tried to understand him. They were hardly disconcerted, they were a very stable couple.

"Well, I need to accompany Kate to the caves, she wants to bathe." Juliet explained, giving a quick kiss to Sawyer's lips. "See you later?" She asked.

"You know where to find me." He smiled at her.

Jack was waiting for her to return to Sun's tent. He was much calmer now that they had a plan. They still did not know if it would work, but knowing that they would be ready already made him a little less stressed.

When they reached the tent of Sun, neither she nor Kate was inside. They asked some people around if they knew where they had gone, but no one had seen them.

Juliet and Jack began to worry. What if the "Others" had taken them? They separated to search for them, and it was not long before the news spread and the whole camp was looking for Kate and Sun.

Jin looked desperate, it was even worse for him because he could hardly understand English. He tried to ask questions, but they barely understood what he was saying.

They searched everywhere, in all the tents, and all around the beach camp. Anything. They were nowhere.

Hours passed and the two girls had not yet been found. Jin was already sitting desolate, looking at their tent as if he imagined Sun could leave at any moment.

Jack was stressed. As much as all the places had already been searched, he continued his search looking back at each place.

"Jack, you need to stop." Juliet was with him. But it was no use talking, it was as if Jack did not hear her. "JACK."

He kept on walking. Juliet could not bear to follow her, she was very tired. Jack was already pale, and very very stressed. The most diverse feelings took care of him. Anger at Others, fear of losing Kate and Sun, inability to find them. Jack felt his head spin, but he could not stop looking for them.

When he felt he could not keep walking, he let his body fall on the sand, kneeling, with his back to the sea. It was when he finally breathed better, and that all his fears took over. Jack started to cry. He could not believe it, how it had happened before his eyes?

He heard a noise coming out of the woods. They looked like footsteps. He heard voices. Female voices. The woods moved and Kate and Sun suddenly left, smiling, talking to each other.

A sense of relief washed over Jack, but was soon replaced by anger. How could they do this to all of them? He ran towards them and started to fight.

"Where were you?" He spoke loudly, nervously. Sweat dripped down his face, and his eyes were red.

"Sun went to show me how her garden was." Kate spoke softly, he was scaring her talking like that.

"Garden?" Jack laughed wryly. "Garden?" He repeated. "The whole camp is looking for both of you for hours, Kate. HOURS." He yelled at her.

"Jack, you do not have to shout at her, it was my fault that ..." Sun started to speak but was soon cut off.

"You're going back to the tent now." He ordered Kate.

"What? You do not rule over me." She frowned. "I did not do nothing wrong, I was just .."

"Kate, listen to me when I talk to you." He grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her a little, looking into her eyes. "It's dangerous to be out here without a gun, you know that. So why did you do that? Why did you go to the middle of the forest?"

"Let me go." She could not hold back the tears. Jack was hurting her.

Jin and Juliet spotted them. Jin also started fighting with Sun in Korean and pulled her wrist back to the camp, while she tried to escape. Juliet saw the scene in terror.

These two men were venting all their stress on Sun and Kate.

"You're going with me now back to camp." Jack held Kate by the hand. She did, however, force herself not to leave the place where she was.

"I still want to take a shower." Kate asked, tears streaming down and sobbing voice.

"You're going to have to wait until tomorrow, Kate." He said without even looking at her, and pulled her hand tighter.

"Let me go." She asked again.

"JACK." Juliet could no longer see that. If Jin and Sun were still around, she would scream at them, too. "Let her go, please." Jack released Kate's hand nervously. "You're acting just like him." Juliet pointed at Jin.

Juliet hugged Kate, she was frightened. She ran her hands over Kate's arm to make her quieter. "You need to relax, Jack." Juliet spoke in a calm voice. "They're here, they're fine."

"They go off for hours without telling anyone and now am I wrong?" Jack gave a wry laugh again and shook his head.

Juliet sighed. "Jack, Kate was doing fine until you yelled at her." She still hugged the brunette. "I thought the main point of this was to protect her. You're not doing this right now."

Jack realized what he had done. He was so stressed, so afraid that Kate had been caught, and when he finally found her, he only fought her.

"I mean, Kate and Sun did a lot wrong not to tell anyone where they were going." Juliet continued, and stared into Kate's eyes as she said it. "But you do not have to drag them back like they did not know what they did." She looked back at Jack.

"We did not realize it took so long." Kate spoke through sobs.

"I know." Juliet smiled at her. "And Jack knows, he's just stressed because he's got a lot to worry about, honey." Juliet stared at him, giving him the hint.

He finally created the courage to approach. "I'm sorry if I treated you badly, Katie." His eyes were filled with tears. "I was so afraid of losing you, so afraid you'd do it again ..."

"I won't." Kate was still crying, resentful.

"Come here, baby." Jack opened his arms to Kate. "Come here."

Kate left Juliet's arms to hug Jack. She buried her face in his chest to cry. He held her tight and kissed her head several times. "I was afraid I'd never be able to hold you like this again." Jack lifted her and rested her buttocks on his arms. Kate wrapped her arms around his neck and laid her head on her arm. He stroked her back and felt the movement of the sobs she still had. "It's okay, I'm so glad you're safe, baby."

Juliet was more relieved to see that they were alright now, but still worried about how Jin would be treating Sun. She realized he did not know how to control himself sometimes.

"Katie, you want to bathe, right?" Juliet remembered her request. "I need that too, do you want to come?" She smiled.

"Could it be later ...?" She asked softly. Kate was still resentful of what had happened and was enjoying the moment when Jack was hugging her. She was still a little sad, did not want to leave his arms.

"It will be dark soon, darling." Juliet reminded her. At night it was even more dangerous to be anywhere unaccompanied.

"OK." She agreed, Kate was feeling all sticky, it was very uncomfortable.

Jack set her down and kissed her forehead. "Be quick." He asked for both.

He returned to the camp where everyone already knew that nothing had happened to Kate and Sun and the tension that had been there before was now gone.

Sayid approached him as he returned to his tent. "We already split up to be ready for the night." He explained. "We do not put you on any shift so that you can stay with Kate."

""Juliet can have her if you need me." Sayid shook Jack's shoulder, he was helping so much. "How will it be?"

"Sawyer and Jin will take the first turn, each on one side of the camp, and the second shift is mine and Locke's. You can pick a shift, the more people the better."

"Good." Jack nodded. "I'll stay awake."

"Let's put a torch near each tent, to make it easy to see any strange movement." Sayid explained.

"I will help you." Jack followed Sayid.

* * *

At sunset, the camp was already full of lighted torches. There was not a single part that was in the dark.

Sawyer and Jin were already positioning themselves, each armed with two guns. Sayid and Jack walked around to see if everything was going as planned, the two were armed too.

Juliet and Kate returned from the caves in the last rays of sunlight and saw the camp all lit up. "What is all this about?" Kate asked.

"It's to protect us." Juliet did not want to talk too much, Kate still did not know about the death that had happened this morning. "In case the Others come after us."

It was so bright that it was almost like daylight. That night was much cooler than the night before, it was a little windy, and the sky was full of clouds. The camp was already empty, practically all the people were in their own tents, except for those who would take turns in turns.

Jack approached Kate and Juliet. "Juliet, can you stay with Kate tonight? I'll be helping Sayid in the guard."

"Sure, Jack." She nodded.

"What's going on, Jack?" Kate was not stupid, she saw that they were all different that night.

He stroked her face. "Nothing much honey, we're just getting ready if Ben attacks us."

"Yeah, but why did not anyone do anything last night?" She was beginning to question Jack. "We already knew they could come."

"Katie, come on, Jack is busy, darling." Juliet pulled her hand tenderly. She knew Jack did not want to answer those questions now. "When it's over, he'll explain everything, okay?" She smiled at Jack, who smiled back and thanked her with his eyes.

Juliet led her to her tent, but Kate did not take her eyes off Jack. She knew something was being hidden from her. And for Jack to hide something from her, it's because it was about her.

"Jack is different." Kate sloshed as she sat on the makeshift bed.

"He's just busy, honey." Juliet sat down beside her as she tightened her hair on a towel to dry it. "Jack has been away for many days, can you imagine how many things he needs to solve now?"

Kate did not answer, she just looked down thoughtfully.

"Come here, darling. Let me dry your hair, too." Juliet was holding a towel in her hands. "It's still flooded, it's not good to lie down like that." They had come so fast out of the caves that it was getting dark that he had not had time for them to dry right. Juliet gently rubbed the towel over Kate's head until her long brown hair was nearly dry.

Kate lay without a word. She was upset. She pulled the sheet over to cover herself and turned to the corner of the tent. Juliet heard her sigh.

"Hey, are you going to tell me why you're upset like this?" She bent close to where Kate was lying.

"We almost did it last night." Kate finally spoke. "I mean... sex." She blushed. "But I could not let go until the end .." She turned to Juliet. "Do ... do you think that's why Jack does not want to sleep with me tonight?" She asked timidly, visibly sad.

Juliet smiled. In fact she was relieved that this was what Kate was thinking. "Honey, Jack's really busy, that's all. He's not mad or upset at you." She brushed a strand of hair from the brunette's face. "Stop creating things in this little head." She touched the tip of her nose with her finger. "OK?"

"OK." Kate smiled back at Juliet. She felt a bit better.

Juliet lay down on the other seat in the tent. "You think you can sleep alone, honey?"

After they returned to the beach camp, Kate was feeling a bit more courageous. There were many things she still could not do as she did before, but she was not as scared as she was a week ago. She thought about the question Juliet had just asked her. Kate was slow to respond. She was trying to imagine what a sleep night would be like without having someone on her side. When she had her eyes open, that was everything fine, but once she closed them, and did not feel the warmth of someone else's body, it was all scary.

"It's OK." Juliet had understood. She smiled as she dragged her makeshift bed to Kate's side and lay down. "I'll sleep next to you."

"Do you think I'm going back to normal one day?" Kate asked softly, feeling defeated for knowing that she would not yet feel safe sleeping alone.

"Darling, you're already much better." She stroked her cheek. "You did not notice that?"

"I guess." Kate forced herself to smile.

Juliet hugged her. It was totally different from having Jack on her side. She missed his scent, his big hands around her, the beating of his heart and his voice soothing her. But Kate knew Juliet was there so it was not so bad. She closed her eyes and tried to sleep.

* * *

Jack stayed awake during the first round, with Sawyer and Jin. Nothing happened, no sign of anything different or strange. They only heard the noise of the sea, and sometimes from some forest animal. But no sign that the Others were around.

Their shift was over, and Sayid and Locke were alert. Jack wanted to stay awake to help. He had slept so much the night before that he did not feel sleepy, just physical tiredness. Everything was repeated. Nothing different happened. Everyone slept normally, everything seemed quiet.

Jack watched as the first ray of sunlight appeared. He felt better, no attack had occurred that night. Sayid's idea was working.

Suddenly they heard a terrifying cry coming from one of the tents. Jack, Sayid, and Locke ran to see what might have happened.

One of the survivors had been struck by an arrow and crossed his neck. He died instantly. His wife was mourning the sudden loss of her husband. She was crying on top of him, she was dirty with his blood, but she did not care. The scene was terrifying and heartbreaking.

They could not believe it. How did they not see or hear anything? They did not even have the chance to try to capture him. They did not know what to do. The killings would continue, unless they thought of something quick to do. They could not allow that to continue.


	27. Keep Trying

**Sorry for yesterday, guys, I just feel so bad when I do not have time to update. ):**

 **Thanks for the reviews and for still being with me here (:**

 **A new chapter, I hope you like it ! s2**

* * *

Juliet woke up with the cry she heard. She closed her eyes, could not be another death. She could see through an opening in the tent's canvas, Sawyer, Sayid and Jack tugging at the body, now dead. They were taking him somewhere, probably to bury him. A woman cried following them, but Locke comforted her. A terrifying scene. She looked away and Kate was still asleep, thankfully. She would not be able to answer the questions the brunette would surely ask.

Kate started to move, as if to wake up. Juliet quickly tucked her in the blankets and kissed her on the forehead. "Shh, you can go back to sleep, honey, it's still too early." It was true, the sun was just rising. And Juliet needed some time to process in her mind what had just happened. Kate had not even opened her eyes, but when she was snuggled in such a nice way she was soon back to sleep.

Sawyer burst into her tent and Juliet soon put a finger in front of her mouth and made a sign of silence. "Shhh, I do not want her to wake up yet." She whispered.

"I'm sorry, blondie. I did not know Freckles was here," he whispered back and sighed. Sawyer crouched by the bed where Juliet was. "So, it happened again." He was soon talking, visibly annoyed.

"I heard." She replied, her face showing the disappointment she felt. "What are we going to do now?"

"Jack wants to talk to you." Sawyer said. "I guess that's about it."

"Well, he can come here now if you want." She wanted to solve this problem as well as he did.

"I'll give him the message." Sawyer replied, gave Juliet a quick kiss and stood up. "She is fine?" He moved his eyes to Kate.

"She is." Juliet smiled. "Sometimes the best thing that can happen to us is not knowing things."

It nodded. Juliet saw him coming out of the tent and picking up Jack. She stood there, not moving, just staring at the ceiling. It was so much tension that they were living.

When she realized it, Jack had already arrived and bent down near the bed to talk to her. Juliet sat down.

"Juliet, you know their strategies well." Jack looked exhausted. "Today another innocent died with an arrow in the neck, apparently they are attacking from afar."

"Because they saw you watching." Juliet noticed. "It would have been better to watch without them seeing." She felt so bad that she had not thought of that before.

"We can not risk losing someone else through trial and error." Jack shook his head.

"So what's your idea, Jack?" Juliet asked, really wanting to know.

"Jack?" They heard Kate's sleepy voice and turned to her. Once again they would have to leave the conversation for later.

"Hey, my sweetheart." He smiled at her. Kate sat down. Her eyes were a little swollen and her hair a bit crumpled for sleeping with it wet, but Jack still thought her so beautiful. She reached out to hug Jack. He sat on the bed so she could reach him more easily and hugged her back. "I missed you tonight, did you know that?" He said as he ran his hands through her hair, tidying them up a bit.

"Me too." She smiled at him, her green eyes glowing. "I dreamed about you, Jack."

Jack looked at her in surprise. "Oh, and what was the dream about?" He asked, smiling at her, stroking her face with the back of his fingers.

Kate did not answer, but bit her lower lip and blushed.

Jack understood right away, and so did Juliet. They both laughed, Juliet a little embarrassed. Jack tickled Kate and kissed her on the cheek. "Naughty girl."

"Juliet, then we'll end the conversation later, ok?" He asked her. Juliet nodded.

Jack went out to his tent and Kate followed him. "What conversation, Jack?" Her tone was not of curiosity, but of collection.

He laughed at her. "Are you jealous, Katie?" He kept walking as he spoke.

"No, I just want to know." She was following Jack.

Jack stopped walking and turned to her, stroking the girl's face. "Do not worry, it's nothing important." He smiled. "Will you come with me to my tent?"

Kate nodded. Jack took her hand so they could walk together. On the way to the tent, Hurley saw them and approached.

"So, Jack ..." He looked in doubt as to whether he should ask the question. "Are you going to the Others?"

Jack was startled by the question. He looked at Kate, then at Hurley again. A serious glance that Hurley soon realized he had said what he should not.

"I'm sorry, it's because everyone keeps asking me and .." He realized that he was only making things worse by seeing Kate's expression "Dude, does not she know?" Jack took a deep, nervous breath. "Never mind, I need to go talk to Charlie." He tried to disguise himself and ran.

"Jack, what's going on?" Kate asked, worried. Hurley had tipped her so much.

What did not she know? Jack always hid her things. She felt his hand being drawn by him, and he followed him, looking around. All people looking at them.

They entered the tent and Jack did not say a word, he had not answered.

"JACK." Her eyes were filled with tears. "Will not you answer me?"

"Honey .." Jack made her sit on the bed. He looked into her eyes as he tucked a lock of curly hair behind her ear. "I just ask you to trust me, okay?" He smiled.

"Why do not you trust me this time?" She was nervous, the tears fell. "Why do you always hide things from me?

"Katie, please." He tried to hold her but she stepped out of the embrace and sat farther away from him. Jack looked at the ceiling. He did not want to tell her, it was too terrible. But he could not look at Kate crying like that in front of him. "Come here, let me hold you, Katie." Jack approached her. "Can I?" He spoke softly into her ear as he slowly put her on his lap.

"Why do not you trust me?" He heard her voice muffled by his chest asking.

"Sweetheart, breathe." Jack asked her. Kate was despairing without even telling him anything, if he told her he did not know what to expect. He wiped her tears away. "You need to calm down so we can talk, baby. Slow down, okay?" He was trying to make her relax.

Kate obeyed. She looked at him as she inhaled and breathed out, her heart slowly quieted down.

"Very good, honey." He snuggled her into his arms. "Can we talk?"

She nodded, some sobs were still there.

"Okay then." Jack looked at Kate, she was looking down, her head against his chest. "What's happening is that the Others are attacking us ..." He waited for her reaction, which was only to look at him. "And we're solving it. That's all, baby." He patted her hip with his arm around her as he spoke. "Because of this, it's not for anyone to walk through the woods like you and Sun did yesterday, you see, that's why I got so mad."

"If only you had told me," Kate replied smugly.

"I know, honey, but I did not want to scare you." Jack let it out. In his mind he knew he was still not being totally honest with her but what use would it make her know that people were dying because the Others wanted her? It would only make her feel guilty.

"I'm not afraid like this." She quickly answered. Jack was surprised by the answer. From time to time it seemed like she was going back to being the old Kate, at least in what she said and in stubbornness.

"I know you're not." Jack reinforced what she said to make her feel good. "But I did not want to take the risk, okay?" He touched the tip of her nose with his finger.

They kept talking for a while. For a while Jack practically forgot the nightmare they were living, it was so nice to talk to a happy Kate again.

* * *

The night soon arrived and was when all the tension returned. This time they took out all the torches. The idea was not to be seen, as if they did not expect them or as if they had given up responding.

Even if Kate thought she was not afraid, when she saw everything dark and knowing that the Others could arrive at any moment, it was impossible not to think about it all the time.

"Katie, I'm staying with the other watchmen, you're staying with Juliet, okay?" Jack held her face in his hands as he saw the fear in her eyes.

"I want to be with you, Jack." She held on to him, she was afraid. Kate did not want anything bad to happen to him. She did not want anything bad to happen.

Juliet held her from behind. "He needs to stay with the other guys, honey." She spoke close to Kate's ear. "Come with me."

"Jack, please." She asked him, her voice crying, her eyes getting wet.

He sighed and gave up. He had already learned that when Kate began to despair, the best way to calm her was to give her time to get used to the idea. "I'll go with you to the tent, okay?" He hugged her and walked with her, holding her tight. Juliet was with them.

Jack sat Kate on the bed and bent down in front of her, so he could look at her better. "Are you alright?" He asked as he watched as she cried, he gently held her arms.

She shook her head to say no. Jack looked at Juliet, asking for help. She soon understood and sat down next to the brunette.

Juliet put an arm around her. "Honey, Jack and the other guys are trying to get others to stop." She stroked Kate's arm. "If they are not, the Others will continue to scare us."

"I do not want anyone to get hurt." Kate sniffed.

"Honey, tomorrow morning, very early, Jack will come to wake you up here and tell you how it went, okay?" Juliet winked at Jack.

"I promise you, Katie." Jack said looking into her eyes and holding her hands. He was so relieved that Juliet was able to get around the situation.

Kate nodded. She felt sure Jack would be all right in the morning.

"Ok, thank you, baby." He smiled. "Now let's make you comfortable ..." Jack laid her on the bed and snuggled her into the blankets. "..because tomorrow I'll be here, and I want you to wake up when I call, okay, my sleepyhead?" He teased her.

"OK." She spoke softly and smiled.

Jack kissed her forehead and left. Juliet watched from a distance what was happening, but it was very difficult to see through the darkness. She was also very worried about what would happen that night. If it did not work, it would be the third night followed, the third death followed.

She sat on the bed with Kate. "It's going to be all right, honey." She spoke more to herself than to Kate.

* * *

It was dawn when Sawyer heard a noise. He soon positioned himself with the gun and beckoned to the others.

The noise subsided, but it was still possible to see the bush moving around. They stood still, they wanted whatever was stirring to approach.

They saw a head, someone was crouched there. Sawyer jumped over the person and hit his head with his gun. He passed out on the spot.

"Pleease, do not kill him." A young voice begged. "We're not here to hurt you." It was a girl, about sixteen. She knelt on the floor and raised her arms to show that she held no weapon.

"Alex?" Sawyer recognized her.


	28. Medical Station

**Thank you for all the reviews but especially to _sandyba_ this time. You made me feel so much better LOL The school is driving me nuts these past days, sooo many things to do and I was really trying to update but I didn't find time! 8th grade its not easy at all ):**

 **But now I found some time between my homework and here it is a new Chapter. (:**

 **I'm really learning to love writing, I'm currently working on a narrative for my Literature class and I feel refreshed every time I'm writing for this school project or in this fanfic. It feels great!**

 **And I just feel like that thanks to you, I used to hate writing a couple months ago LOL**

 **Thank you to _zeusfluff_ who is always reading and giving me some ideas.**

 **Oh Gosh, I'm getting emotional LOL Just love you, guys s2**

* * *

Sawyer approached the girl. "What are you doing here?"

She made mention of getting up. "Hmm, can I?" Alex looked at Sawyer.

"Sure, you can get up." Sawyer lowered his weapon. Everyone else was quieter to see he knew her. Sayid, Locke and Jin returned to the lookout.

Alex ran to see how Karl was. He was fainted by the blow he had received from Sawyer. She put his head on his lap and Jack approached.

"I can see?" He bent down and tried to look at the bruise, but it was hard to see something in the dark. "It seems to be bleeding but it's not very serious, it'll be fine." Jack reassured Alex.

"So, what are you and your boyfriend doing so far from the village?"

"We're running away." Alex answered, stroking Karl's face, still fainted on the floor. "My father said he would stop torturing Karl, but he stopped for a day and then it all came back." She looked at Karl, he had just woken up. "It was impossible to stay there, I could not take another minute."

"And you had to come here soon?" Sawyer was disappointed. "Ben is already attacking us, if he knows his daughter is here he's going to throw us a bomb."

"I'm sorry, we did not want to cause any problems." She got up and tried to pull Karl to lift him too, but he still could not. "We did not even plan to stop here." She started to pull Karl to the opposite side of the camp.

"Hey, wait a minute." Jack called her. "He can not walk like that, where are you going?"

"We do not know." She was still struggling to keep Karl standing.

"You should stay with us at least tonight." Jack offered. He looked at Sawyer who shook his head. He thought they were Ben's target.

Alex looked at Karl. "Well, I guess he needs it, right?" She spoke shyly.

"Yes, he does." Jack stepped forward to help her with Karl. "They can stay in Kate's tent." He told Sawyer. "She's not using it." Jack kept looking at him, waiting for Sawyer to help them.

"It's all right." Sawyer relented. He came over and took Alex's place, resting Karl's other arm on his shoulder.

Jack and Sawyer took him to Kate's tent while the girl accompanied them, worried about her boyfriend.

They laid him down on the bed and Jack could see the wound on Karl's head better. It was nothing serious, he just needed to rest.

"Well, be comfortable, if you need anything, we'll be making the rounds." Jack warned Alex to leave the tent along with Sawyer.

"Hang on." She called them. "Why are you watching the camp?"

"Because your father sends someone here every night to kill someone as long as he does not have what he wants." Sawyer replied, as if it were something obvious.

"You mean Kate?" Alex asked.

Jack nodded.

"He will not attack them for three days, I heard this morning when he talked to Tom." The girl explained. "My dad wants you to think the attacks have stopped, so it will be much easier for them to take Kate to the lab."

"So we have three days of peace?" Sawyer celebrated.

"Three days to think of something very well planned." Jack corrected him. He turned to Alex. "Are you sure about that?"

"Yes, I do." She spoke very firmly.

Jack and Sawyer left the tent and left Alex and Karl alone but the doctor was still suspicious.

"I'm afraid it's one more of Ben's tricks." Jack sloshed as they walked away from the tent.

"Well, you put them at the camp in first place, Doc." Sawyer said the usual sarcastic way. "But I trust her, she and her boyfriend helped me and Kate when we escaped.

Jack was quieter at this. "I'll tell others that you can sleep then." His eyes looked away, where his friends were awake watching. "There's no need to waste energy ahead of time."

"I'll tell them." Sawyer offered and slapped Jack's shoulder lightly. He knew Jack needed rest.

"OK." Jack thanked him and smiled. He turned to go to his tent, was exhausted. This was the second night he had not slept. That was when she remembered the promise she had made to Kate. Jack turned and sneaked into Juliet's tent. She and Kate were already asleep, the brunette holding her hand tight. Kate stirred a little, as if she was dreaming.

Jack bent down beside her bed and tenderly placed a hand on her freckled face. She was a little warm. Feeling Jack's hand on her face, she gave an involuntary jump, probably something her mind had created inside the dream. He slid his hand down her cheek. "Shh, it's okay, it's me, baby. It's Jack."

He watched her slowly stop moving and opening his eyes. "I told you I'd come back, did not I?" He smiled to see she was waking up.

"It's already morning?" She asked in the sleepiest voice Jack had heard. "It looks so dark." Kate snuggled into the blanket.

"It's still dawn, baby." He kissed her cheek. "That's why I came here, to ask you if you want to go to sleep with me." He ran his hand through her hair.

"Your turn is over?" She asked, sleepy.

"It's over, Katie." He was looking at her with a smile.

Kate sat on the bed and put her arms around his neck, to hug him. As the brunette let go of Juliet's hand, she woke up, and her eyes opened with immense rapidity. It was as if she was ready to wake up if anyone tried to take Kate.

"It's okay, Juliet." Jack said as he took Kate in his arms and stood with her. "I'm taking her to my tent."

Juliet reassured herself that it was Jack who was there. "Oh ok." She rubbed her face with her hands to try to take some of the sleep she felt. "Take the blanket with her, it's cold, Jack."

Juliet got up and put the blanket that Kate used to sleep around the brunette. Juliet felt her temperature a little high. "Is it my impression or does she have a fever again?"

Jack put his hand on Kate's forehead. "Are you feeling all right, Katie?"

She nodded, her eyes already closed.

"She looks good." Jack answered.

"Yeah .." Juliet nodded, but not sure.

Jack returned with Kate to his own tent and laid her down. He lay down beside her, and how good it was to take his feet off the ground. Jack's pillar was killing him, and the pain in his feet as well.

He finally closed his eyes to sleep.

"Jack ..." He heard Kate call him.

"I'm here." He stroked her face. "Something wrong, baby?"

"My belly hurts." She complained.

Jack took a deep breath to get up, he was so tired, but he did not want her to be in pain. "Let me see that, Katie." He took the blanket off her, she had both hands clutching her belly.

He gently removed her hands and touched the area. "Is not that your period, Katie?"

She blushed, but shook her head. "It's not on the right day yet."

"That's weird," Jack said quietly to himself. "It's a little swollen." He lifted her shirt a little to be sure. "Is it really hurting, baby?" Jack lowered his T-shirt back.

"Enough to bother me." She turned sideways.

He stroked her back. "I can give you medicine to stop the pain."

She shook her head. "I think I can handle it."

"It's a very light medicine." He was still sitting next to her. "Are you sure?"

She nodded.

"OK then." Jack lay down and Kate lay on his chest. "If it gets worse you wake me up, okay, honey?"

"OK." She replied softly.

Jack kissed her head and it was not long until they fell asleep.

* * *

The sun was barely born and Jack woke with Kate screaming. They were screams of pain and she had her hands pressed on her belly.

"Katie?" He turned and saw her face in pain. "What happened? Is your tummy hurting?" He put his hand on her face. Kate squirmed in pain. The fever had gotten so bad.

She nodded, she could not speak.

"It's okay, I'm going to look at your belly to see what's going on, okay?" Jack pulled the blanket off of her to see the brunette's belly. Alex who heard shouts in the tent on the side of hers ran to see what was happening. "What happened to her?" Alex asked, startled.

Jack had not noticed Alex's presence there until now. "Please, ask Juliet to come here quickly. And fill that bottle with hot water. "Jack handed Alex an empty bottle.

Alex nodded but did not leave. Jack looked at her as he gave a pill to Kate. "Please Alex, fast."

She was scared and ran after Juliet, soon she found her leaving her tent, she had just woken up

"Alex, what are you doing here?" Juliet hugged the girl, who was panting.

"Jack is calling you, needs to be quick." She barely had time to answer Juliet's question. The blonde ran to Jack's tent while Alex ask Bernard to fill the bottle with the water he was boiling. She didn't even answered him when he asked her why she needed that. Alex run to the tent and saw that Juliet was startled. Kate was still screaming and crying in pain, she did not take her hands off her belly.

"What is it?" Juliet approached, trying to understand what had happened. "Is it not cramps?" She took the bottle from Alex's hands, Juliet snuggled Kate in her lap and placed it gently on Kate's belly. She thought it might ease the pain a bit.

"I have no idea, she had pain before bed and she woke up like this, but she said it is not cramps." Jack had looked at her belly and there was nothing abnormal, taking a small swelling.

Alex was still watching the scene and gave the bottle to Jack. "Did they give her anything?"

"Who, dear?" Juliet asked, not looking at the girl. She was more concerned about helping Jack.

"The doctors at Barracks' hospital." Alex was getting a little nervous that Juliet and Jack practically ignored her. She knew what she was talking about. "Did they give her any medicine?"

Jack finally turned and looked at Alex. "She just got an injection, but she needed to, she was sick .."

"An injection? God, you should not trust anyone there." Alex almost screamed. "This is not cramps."

"Honey, the medicine they gave her made her better, she had a fever and tiredness all the time." Juliet explained calmly, she did not agree with Alex. "Now she's fine, well,..." Juliet looked at Kate as she turned in pain. "...at least she was."

Alex approached Kate and placed a hand on her forehead. She shook her head. "It helps at the beginning...after a couple days they are not even sure about what can happen.. It's the same thing they gave the blonde girl pregnant."

"Claire?" Jack asked.

"Yes, Claire." Alex spoke very quickly. "I remember I needed to help her out of the medical station before they killed her and the baby of so many tests they did. They are inconsequential."

"Alex." Jack took a deep breath. "Do you know what they gave her?"

"I do not know, they're doing tests. Claire, it was because of the pregnancy." She turned her eyes to Kate "But Kate.. I have no idea why they were trying to do tests on her."

"How did Claire's body react?" Jack tried to remain calm, but it was difficult with Kate crying in pain in front of him. "Do you remember?"

"I remember she bleed, but I do not remember her having felt pain like this." Alex tried to force his memory but nothing came.

"Let's get Kate to the medical station. Right now." Juliet suggested. "It's abandoned, right Alex?"

"Yes, it is." The girl agreed.

"What difference does it take to get her there, Juliet?" Jack did not understand.

"It's a medical station, Jack." Juliet explained in her calm voice. "It has all the necessary equipment to us find out what they gave her."

Jack did not think that was a very good idea, but he hadn't a better one.

"Katie, we need to get you to a place to see the reason for this pain, okay?" Jack kissed her cheek. Kate still held the hot bottle in her belly, but she was almost unconscious by the intensity of the pain. She did not answer.

He wrapped her in the blanket and tried to leave her as comfortable as he could in her lap. He and Juliet walked a few miles with Kate until they finally arrived.

The station was really abandoned. There was nothing there, apparently. But Juliet knew where to find things. There were secret passages that only those who were part of the "Others" would know.

She entered a room, followed by Jack and Kate. There was a bed and an ultrasound. The doctor laid the brunette on the bed, but remained close to her. The pain did not seem to go away, even though now she seemed to be dealing with it better.

"Jack, can you let her belly show, please?" Juliet asked as she turned on the ultrasound machine.

He unlaced her from the blanket and lifted Kate's T-shirt. Juliet began to move the device through her belly. She screamed in pain as Juliet pressed the sore spot.

"I'm sorry, darling." Juliet felt so bad that she was causing Kate more pain. "It's about to end, okay?"

Jack hugged her, and kept his face close to hers so she could hear the soothing words he was telling her. She was unconscious now.

"Jack, look at this." Juliet drew his attention to the monitor. She moved the device a little more into Kate's belly. "Can you see this stain?"

"It's on her womb, right?" Jack looked closely.

"Yes, it looks hurt." Juliet pointed at the monitor. "Can you see that it is almost all parts thinner already?"

"That's the reason it's hurting so much." Jack concluded. "I'm pretty sure they have injected some hormone into her body."

"Why do you think that?" Juliet was confused. She put the ultrasound equipment down and lowered Kate's shirt. Her body was hot as fire.

"Because hormones make this." Everything made sense to him now. "At the time they still hoped she was pregnant. Or that she would stay.." Jack remembered what happened that day at the hospital with Danny. "But hopefully she is not. Her body is reacting but there's no baby in there, causing the uterus to soar uncontrollably." Jack sighed as he saw Kate suffering. "What causes pain is like having menstrual cramps but at a much greater intensity. I'm surprised she's not bleeding."

Juliet looked at Kate and kissed her head while still holding her. "But why did it take days to take effect?"

"Well, I don't know..it takes days for normal menstruation to appear after the ova mature." Jack explained. "I think it was the same process. They probably apply this hormone to pregnant women with the intention of protecting the baby, as they did with Claire."

"Claire did not get pregnant on the island." Juliet interrupted him.

"Maybe that's why they wanted her for testing." Jack replied firmly. "They want to know what to do so they can reproduce normally in here."

"Jack ..." Juliet called out. He was walking around the room. "What do you think makes Kate the only woman capable of getting pregnant and having the baby here on the island?"

Jack sighed. "I have no idea, Juliet, by the examinations we saw was the amount of her antibodies and by the thickness of the uterus but I'm not sure now." He sat down next to where she was with Kate. "This island is still a mystery to me in so many ways." He took Kate's hand. "There's something different inside her body. Something that I still can not understand."

"Yeah .." Juliet nodded. Even after three years she also did not know how well the island worked.

* * *

They were waiting for Kate to wake up to see if the pain was gone. Jack had checked all the cabinets and stored several different medicines in his backpack. The stock he had in his tent was running out.

Juliet was sitting next to where Kate was lying. As she stroked her brown curls, she tried to imagine what might have been different about Kate. She was tempted to try to find out, but she shook her head to get the idea away. She was no longer one of the Others.

A few minutes later Kate opened her eyes and looked around, trying to identify where she would be.

"Jack, she woke up." Juliet called the doctor who was still looking for things in the closet. Juliet smiled to her. "Hey Katie."

He turned and sat next to them. Jack slid his fingers down her cheek and smiled. "How are you feeling? Do you still have pain?"

"Yeah.." She tried to sit down but could not. The pain had subsided but it was still strong.

"Hey hey, calm down." Jack made her lie down comfortably on Juliet's lap again. "You need to rest."

"I wanna go home." She asked as a small tear slid from her right eye.

Jack sighed and looked at Juliet. He had already put everything he needed in his backpack, and if Kate wanted to get away, it was all right for them. "Ok baby come here." Jack took her in his arms and laid her head on his shoulder. "We're going to take you home." He kept a hand on her head to calm her.

""I think that will help." Juliet gently placed a bag of hot water inside Kate's T-shirt, on top of her belly, where the pain was.

All the way back Jack was thinking about in what the Others would be planning. At least they had two more days to prepare for whatever might come.

Upon reaching the beach again, Alex soon approached, this time with Karl on his side. "Have you figured out what it is?"

"Something in her womb." Juliet replied.

"But you were right, Alex ... it was them." Jack answered and kept walking. He wanted to let Kate lie down.

"I will not go back there, ever again." Alex spoke to Juliet and Karl. "They are evil."

"I know, my dear, I do not plan to go back either." Juliet hugged her. "But I doubt your father will let you stay here when he finds out."

Alex shook her head, she knew it was true. But she would refuse to return. Karl took her hand to comfort her.

* * *

Jack entered his tent with Kate, and Sayid was waiting for him there. He was sitting, holding a piece of wood, just to pass the time.

"Jack, I was expecting you." Sayid spoke looking at him. "We need to decide what to do."

"I know, Sayid ... I've been thinking about it all day" Jack sat with Kate still on her lap, she was burning in fever. "But I'm a little worried about Kate now."

"I heard she was in pain." Sayid could see Jack's concern for the way he looked at her.

"Yes, I wanted to spend time with her, to see if those pains will go away."

"OK." Sayid understood, but was visibly disappointed. "I hope you get better soon, Kate." He stroked her back before he left.

Jack knew they needed to figure out what to do when the Others attacked, but he could not think of so many things at once. What he wanted at that moment was to make sure Kate was feeling better. Only that. "You still feel pain, honey?"

She nodded.

"Soon you'll get better, okay?" Jack kissed her head and laid her on the bed.

"What's happening to me, Jack?" She asked in a tearful voice.

"Baby." He sat down to face her. "Your body is reacting to that injection the Others gave you, remember?"

"What did they have in the injection?" she asked.

"It was possibly the same thing they gave Claire." Jack stroked her face as he saw her expression changing. "Claire is fine, which means you're going to be fine too, sweetheart."

She still had more questions to ask, but gave up doing them. "I think you should go talk to Sayid, Jack."

"I'm not going to get away from you." Jack took her hand. "Not until you're all right, Katie." He knew that maybe that was not the right decision to make, but it was what he felt he should do right now.

* * *

The day was running out and people started to get worried. The night was always scary to them.

Sayid worried even more that they did not have a definite strategy. He was starting to get tired of waiting for Jack.


	29. The Last Straw

Juliet entered Jack's tent, with a book in her hands. He sat still, looking at Kate as she slept. "Jack, I think you should talk to Sayid, he's really worried." She sat beside him. "Kate is asleep, I can take care of her while you talk."

"She's still feverish." Jack was still looking at the brunette.

Juliet sighed. "Hey, I know you're worried about Kate, so am I." She leaned against his hand for Jack to look at her. "But you also need to sort this out with Sayid, I mean, all these people depend on you."

"I can not think about it now, Juliet." He blew out. "This afternoon I was thinking about how much Kate went through in her life." He stroked Kate's still sleeping face. "It's scary, she needs us."

"And she has us." Juliet smiled at him. "She's going to be fine, Jack, she's already so much better than before."

Jack sighed.

"Kate needs you to talk to Sayid so that when the Others come back she's safe." Juliet ran her hand over Jack's shoulder. "Let me stay with her."

"OK." Jack nodded and stood up. "If anything happens, call me." He emphasized the last sentence.

"I will." Juliet smiled. She sat closer to Kate and opened the book to read as she stroked her back.

Alex appeared suddenly in the tent with Karl.

"Juliet?" She lowered her voice when she saw Kate was asleep. "I saw you come in here and .. hmm .. we came to say goodbye."

"What are you talking about?" Juliet lowered the book and looked at them both.

"We do not want to be here when my father or his men arrive." Alex spoke in a firm voice. "I will never live with him again."

"And where will you live?" Juliet asked, being a little sarcastic. From living with Sawyer she was starting to get a little out of his way.

The conversation finally woke Kate, who kind of groaned in pain. Juliet turned to her. "I'm sorry we made you wake up, honey." She tried to snuggle Kate in the bed so she could go back to sleep.

"Hmm .. we do not want to disturb." Karl spoke.

"Goodbye, Juliet." Alex waved his hand and turned to leave the tent.

"You two, come back here." Juliet wanted to scream but she could not. "Alex."

A fright sound shocked them all. Karl hugged Alex in a protective manner. Kate opened her eyes at once as Juliet was on the alert.

Alex stared out of the tent. "They are here." She was in shock.

* * *

 **15 minutes before**

Jack walked through almost the entire camp until he found Sayid.

"Jack, I do not think we should wait until tomorrow to continue our watch." Sayid was soon saying. He was reloading a gun. "I think we should do it today too, it's not good to risk."

"Alex said that he heard Ben say they would not be coming until tomorrow." Jack was tired, he did not plan to spend another night awake.

"Alex is a child, Jack." Sayid replied in a calm voice. "We can not trust such a thing as something a child told us about."

"That's right." He simply accepted, he did not want to argue. "Do you have something in mind?"

"I was thinking about ..." Sayid said when he was interrupted.

"Well, well now ..." Tom appeared in front of them, emerging from the middle of the forest. "So it seems to me that the gang was planning something?" He laughed. "Go on, I hate to interrupt."

Sayid wasted no time and shot Tom. He was hit on the shoulder and fell to the ground. When they heard the shot, Ben and four other men left the same place where Tom had left, they were armed. Sayid and Jack soon lifted their arms in sign of surrender and Ben took Sayid's gun.

"Where is she?" Ben asked.

"You're not going to take her, Ben." Jack answered.

"So you will not tell?" Ben smiled. "I hate having to do it the hard way."

* * *

"Who's here, honey?" Juliet asked, hoping the answer was not what she imagined.

"They, you know." Alex closed the opening of the tent by which she had seen them.

Juliet helped Kate sit on the bed. She saw that the suitcase with the guns was right there in the corner of the tent. She needed to find a way to use those weapons.

"Okay, you guys need to get out of here fast, you're taking Kate with you, okay?" Juliet said very quickly as she opened the case, took out a gun and gave it to Alex. "Take this with you and go straight to one of the underground shelters, I'll take the others guns to Sawyer and Locke." She took a gun to herself too.

"What?" Alex was startled. "Do you want us to get out of here?"

"Juliet ..." Juliet heard Kate call.

"Honey, the first place they're going to look for is in the tents." Juliet replied to Alex. She sat down next to Kate, who was crying, and hugged her. "It's okay, it's going to be all right." She tried to reassure everyone, but especially Kate. "Hurry, you guys gotta get out."

"I'm not going without you, Juliet." Kate was crying. She was breathing fast, she was scared and she still felt pain.

Juliet sighed, they did not have time for that. "Katie, it's okay, you're going to be hiding, honey." She tucked a lock of Kate's hair behind her ear. Juliet tried to show as much patience as possible at that moment. Kate was shaking her head, crying more and more.

"Let me go." Karl showed himself at the scene. "I'll take the guns for Sawyer, and you go with them, Juliet."

"Karl !" Alex complained and looked at him nervously.

"I need to do this, Alex." Karl spoke. He took the briefcase from Juliet's hands and gave Alex a quick kiss. Soon he was sneaking around behind the tents, trying to reach Sawyer's without being seen.

* * *

"Go find her." Ben ordered the men who were with him. "Search all the tents, Kate must be in one of them." Upon hearing this, the four men split into two groups, and were violently opening tent by tent, startling all the survivors who were there. Ben continued to point the gun at them. "Now tell me ... were not you even waiting for this?"

Sayid and Jack looked at each other but did not say anything.

Jack caught sight of Karl walking with his suitcase, slipping behind the tents, almost caught by Ben's men.

"What are you looking at, Jack?" Ben asked, but did not look up to try to look.

* * *

"I can not believe he's gone." Alex's eyes were filled with tears.

"Alex, honey, we need to leave now." Juliet rushed her. She held Kate by the waist to help her walk because of the pain. "Go ahead, we'll be right behind you."

Alex was frightened, but she ran into the forest. Juliet and Kate could not walk too fast, it was hard for the brunette. She was sobbing a lot, making noises that could get attention and Juliet tried to calm her down.

Suddenly, Juliet felt a thud in the back of her head. Kate swayed as Juliet fell, but before the brunette reached the floor, someone caught her. She turned to see who he was, and she was a complete stranger, one of Ben's men. He was tall and had red hair, with many freckles and scars all over his face.

She started screaming as loudly as she could and trying to escape, but he was much stronger than she was.

Kate's screams caught the attention of the entire camp, including Ben's, Jack's, and Sayid's that were far away.

"Bring her here." Ben yelled a sign with his hand in case the redhead did not hear him.

"Tell him to leave Kate now." Jack raged, with all the anger he felt, and advanced on Ben.

"You better get back or I'll shoot." He pointed the gun at Sayid. Ben knew Jack would only stop if he pointed the gun at someone else. It worked. Jack took a step backward.

* * *

Karl finally arrived in Sawyer's tent and stepped in from behind. He saw Sawyer with a gun aimed at his head. The Others had met him before and he reacted. The man holding the gun shouted at Karl.

"What's on your hands, kid?" The enemy asked. Sawyer gulped at the question, he knew that suitcase very well.

Karl quickly drew the gun. He was shaking so hard that the gun did not stop in his hands.

"Put that gun down." The guy screamed. Karl did not obey. "Put that gun down now." He pulled the gun from Sawyer's head and aimed the gun at Karl.

Karl thought he was going to shoot, and he ended up firing first. With the noise, the enemy ended up firing the gun as well. The two of them accepted and fell, dead.

Sawyer could not believe it, Karl was dead. He did not have time to think, opened the briefcase and took the 4 weapons that were inside of it.

* * *

The redheaded man brought Kate closer to Ben. Jack could not bear to look at the scene. She no longer had the strength to scream or try to get out of his arms. She simply cried as she had her arms held back by the evil man.

"Take her to the car." Ben said as they approached.

Alex watched the scene, hidden in the woods. She was so scared, she did not want anyone to see her. She had already heard so many shots, and even she had some hope she was pretty sure Karl wasn't good. The hatred she felt for this man, who was called her father, was greater than she could bear. How could anyone be that bad and selfish?

She decided what she would do. Alex left where he was hiding. "Stop it now." She screamed as loud as she could as she pointed the gun at Ben.

He turned to look as he recognized her daughter's voice. "What are you doing here, Alex?" Ben was surprised.

"It doesn't matter, make him to let Kate go." Alex never spoke so serious in her whole life.

Ben started to laugh at the scene. Alex, his daughter, pointing a gun at his own father. "You're not going to shoot me, Alex. You do not have the guts." Ben laughed.

Jack and Sayid watched the scene, amazed at her attitude. Juliet woke up from the blow she had taken and stood up. From a distance she could see the scene. Sawyer, with several weapons in his hands, also stopped to watch. It was as if everyone knew it was now between them, Ben and Alex.

"You're right." Alex spoke up. "I could not shoot you." She was crying. "But I can do it myself." She looked at Sawyer alone. Now she was sure about what had happened to Karl. Alex put the gun to her own head as her tears streamed.

Ben's expression changed at once, he turned pale. "Alex, lower that gun now." He spoke in a trembling voice. "Keep calm." He tried to approach her.

"Stop where you are." Alex cried in a tearful voice. "Let Kate go and go back to Barracks." She cried. "Hurry, or I'll shoot."

Ben was scared for the first time. Fear of losing Alex. He turned to the red-haired man who was still holding Kate. "Let her go."

He released Kate, who fell into the sand, crying more than ever. Her face and her eyes were completely red, the bruised wrists of the force that had been used to hold her.

"Now go away." Alex screamed out loud. "And you'd better not come back."

"Alex, stop it, let's go home." Ben tried to calm her down, and took a step forward.

"Stay away from me." Alex wanted very hard to pull the trigger. She had no more reason to be there. Karl was gone, she knew. And she would never go back to live with Ben, she did not consider him as her father anymore.


	30. Alex's Confession

**I feel great when I can update (: Thanks for your reviews!**

 **Sorry for the time I took but there goes, another chapter. I hope you like it! s2**

* * *

"Alex .." Ben tried one last time. His eyes filled with tears.

Jack and Sayid looked at each other. They wanted Alex so much to drop that gun, the scene was terrible. Juliet looked from a distance, still half dizzy and with a lot of headache, but her desire was to take Alex's hands as well. Sawyer walked over to Juliet to see her.

Jack slowly also approached Kate, who was still on the ground where they had left her. She was still crying compulsively and was scared to feel someone touching her. When she realized it was Jack, the fear was gone.

"Get out of here, you're not my father." Alex yelled at Ben, desperate.

Ben realized that it was no use. He walked to the car without taking his eyes off Alex. The other men got in the car with him, and the camp heard when the car started.

Alex finally lowered the gun. Sayid approached her slowly. "You saved us, Alex."

The girl did not respond, she simply handed the gun to him. She sat on the sand, not looking at anyone even though she was surrounded by people. Sayid leaned close to her. "Are you alright?" No reply. Juliet and Sawyer were on their way too, but Sayid stopped them. "Let's give her some time."

Jack stood with Kate and approached where they stood. "She needs to understand everything that happened."

"I know what happened." They heard Alex say, without taking his eyes off the sea.

"Do you want to talk about this, Alex?" Sayid asked gently.

"Not now."

"Hey, we just want to help you, okay? When you're ready." Jack said, trying to reassure the girl.

"Thanks." Alex spoke in the same monotonous voice. She just wanted to be there alone.

They finally left her in her own company, although they were very concerned about her. Locke and Hurley began digging graves, for Karl and the other dead man.

It was a very sad scene.

* * *

Jack went back to his tent to look at the bruise on Juliet's head. He was bleeding a little. Juliet groaned in pain as he wiped the wound, but fortunately it was not necessary to take stitches.

Jack sat down next to Kate, who soon saw him approaching, she jumped in his arms and buried her face in his neck. He hugged her immediately. "Oh baby, you're safe now, okay? It's all over, it's all over." He stroked her hair.

"Can you please explain more to me?" Sawyer spoke suddenly. "Was not it just for them to show up tomorrow?"

"It's the Others." Jack said with a sigh. "We should not trust what they say."

"Are you okay, Katie?" Juliet asked as she caught hold of Jack, still looking frightened.

Kate nodded. She was not well, but she did not want to talk about it now.

"I'm worried about Alex." Juliet sighed. "She's still sitting there all by herself. Does she know about Karl?"

"She knows." Sawyer confirmed, even though she had not seen it, Alex knew.

"I'll talk to her." Juliet stood up.

"Juliet, you need to be still, it's no good walking around with your head bruised like this." Jack recommended.

"Alex needs someone." Juliet was stubborn. She kissed Kate on the head as a way to say goodbye and walked toward Alex. Sawyer followed her by holding her hand halfway and then went to the tent itself, helping Locke and Hurley remove the bodies there.

Jack stayed with Kate in the tent. He stared at her, motionless, sitting on the bed with her head on his shoulder. "Did he hurt you, sweetie?" Jack asked at the same time as he lovingly ran his fingers through her bruised, red wrists. "I'm sorry I did not ask you before, there are so many things going on."

Kate shook her head to say no. The pain she felt inside was so much greater than the small pain in her wrists.

"Are you feeling good?" He asked.

Kate nodded.

"Do you still have pain in your belly?" Jack wanted to make her talk, that silence was killing him.

Kate nodded.

"Do you want me to massage you in the belly, Katie?" He kissed her temple.

She shook her head in denial and hid her face in Jack.

"Baby, what's going on?" He tried to get her to lift her face to look at her, but she did not want to. "Katie, I want to talk to you." He spoke gently in her ear.

"It was my fault." She spoke in a tearful, muffled voice.

"What was your fault, sweetheart?" He stroked her head.

"That Karl is dead." She started to cry like a child.

* * *

Juliet sat down next to Alex and put her arm around her. "Honey, you know you were very brave today, do not you?"

"I did not do more than my duty, Juliet." Alex spoke coldly. She still stared at the sea, and did not move a muscle.

"Are you saying that Ben is your father?" Juliet turned to the girl. "Alex, you're not to blame for being that way .."

"No, I'm telling you why I put you in this." A tear ran down Alex's still face. "Now I'm suffering the consequences."

"Alex ..." Juliet looked at her, confused.

"It was me." Alex finally looked at Juliet. "I thought I was pregnant, and my father could never know." Another tear ran down. "I did the exam without anyone knowing it, but they found out. I asked Karl to change the name tags on the exams, the most recent label he found was Kate's." Juliet was looking at Alex, not believing what she was hearing. "They were after her for nothing, Juliet. I did not think I would get to that point, I made her go through all these things just for being afraid to tell the truth to my father."

"Honey, why did not you tell me this before?" Juliet wanted to understand better.

"I did not think it was necessary." Alex wiped the tears with his hands. "I did not think he'd go that far because of an exam."

"It's not just an exam for him, my dear." Juliet hugged her. "It's what he's been researching for years, how to get women to get pregnant on the island normally."

"I'm sorry I did not." She started to cry harder. "Please, I'm sorry, I wanted to go back and fix everything, Karl would still be here if I had not been such a coward."

"It's all right, my dear." Juliet slid her hands down Alex's back in an attempt to make her stop crying. "What you did today made up for it." She kissed her head. "You and Karl were very brave, you should be proud of him."

"I'm." She sniffed. Juliet continued to hug her until she calmed down.

"Honey, you know we need to tell Jack this, do not you?" Juliet finally spoke.

"You can count." Alex stood up. "I'll help in Karl's funeral." She wiped her face and walked toward where Sawyer, Locke, Hurley, and Sayid were digging.

Juliet sat for a while, trying to digest everything that had happened, and the information she had just received.

She finally got up and walked to Jack's tent. What she saw was not a very unusual scene lately, but it always bothered her. Kate was leaning against the bed, crying and an exhausted Jack trying to calm her down, caressed her arm that was closest to him. None of them said anything, the only sound was Kate's sobs.

Juliet knelt down next to Kate and wiped her tears away.

"Can you tell Alex I'm sorry?" Kate asked between her sobs. Juliet held her tight.

"You're sorry for what, darling?" Juliet looked at Jack confused as he held Kate in her embrace.

"Karl left to hand over his weapons because of me. He was supposed to hide with Alex." She cried.

"Shhh." Juliet stroked Kate's hair. "He chooses to leave, Kate. It was not you, okay?" She ran her hands through her hair so that it would pull them away from her face and cupped Kate's face in her hands. "It was not your fault." Juliet looked at Jack again. "By the way, I need to tell you something, Jack." She spoke as she nestled Kate in her arms.

"What happened?" Jack was already worried.

"Alex is the only one who can get pregnant on the island." Juliet said. "It was not who we thought it was." She avoided saying Kate's name. "Alex changed the labels, and it turned out all that."

Jack could not speak. "So ... she did not ..." he tried to say as he pointed discreetly at Kate.

"No ..." She kissed Kate's head, and smiled. "She's just normal and I've never been so happy to know that."

"What are you talking about?" Kate rose from Juliet's arms, wiping away a tear that was still dripping.

"Your exams, Kate." Jack quickly replied. "You're totally normal." He smiled at her, somehow he was not lying.

"Then why do I still feel pain?" She thought they were talking about the pain in her belly.

"We'll see it better when we get back, okay, sweetie?" Juliet smiled at her. "Karl's funeral will be now." The smile disappeared. "We should go to support Alex."

"Can I stay here?" Kate asked, timidly.

"Baby, it was not your fault .." Jack told her. "You do not believe us?"

"I just do not feel good to go, I can not stand the tears anymore." She squirmed, her eyes watering again and her voice growing weak as if another crying was coming.

"It's okay, honey." Juliet sympathized with the situation. "You do not have to go if you do not want to, okay?" She smiled at Kate.

"Do you want me to stay here with you, Katie?" Jack bent down next to her and asked.

"It's okay, you can go .." she said.

"Are you going to be here alone?" Juliet asked her.

Kate nodded. Juliet and Jack looked at each other, they did not know if it was a good idea.

"Are you sure, baby?" Jack asked again.

"Yes .." She spoke softly.

"Okay." Juliet and Jack agreed to leave her there. There was no danger around. "So stay in the tent, ok honey?" Juliet ran her hand over her face.

"I'll be back as soon as I'm done." Jack said.

"OK." Kate answered as she sat on the plane seat that was there. She sighed.

"Baby .." Jack called for her to look at him. "I love you, OK?"

"I love you too." Her eyes finally met his.

Jack gave her a quick kiss on the lips and he and Juliet left for the funeral.

They arrived when they were already finishing burying Karl's body. Alex controlled herself so much not to cry that she even trembled. Juliet hugged her to her side, hoping the girl would feel more comforted. She had just said a few words about him, which made most of the people there present thrilled.

Jack, looking at Alex, was still thinking about what Juliet had told him. It made perfect sense, she had been born on the island. It was like a new generation. For so many days he tried to imagine how Kate could be immune to the effects of the island, but she was not, it was Alex.

Juliet worried about what Alex's life would be like. Without her father, without her boyfriend .. the whole life she'd had gone downhill. Juliet kind of felt like her, having left a life in the Barracks to live with the survivors on the beach. They had left everything behind because of Ben's wickedness.


	31. The Best Choice

When the funeral was over, Hurley approached Jack. "Dude, do not you think everybody's down?"

"Well, after what happened, you have to wait ..." Jack looked at the people around him.

"Let's do something, cheer these people up." He always cared about everyone's joy.

"Hurley, it's getting dark." Jack frowned at Hurley. "What are you thinking of doing to cheer them on?"

"I do not know, a bonfire. Charlie can play a little guitar, we can tell stories, sing, talk." "Well, that's depressing, man." He pointed with his hands around him.

"Okay." Jack brightened a little. Maybe Hurley was right. "Let's build a fire."

Jack and Hurley began to bring in several pieces of wood, and as people understood what they were doing, they began to help.

Juliet was still with Alex, the girl barely spoke or showed any expression. Sometimes she thought about how much easier it was to comfort people like Rachel or Kate, who cried when they were sad, or if they were angry, screaming. She who always knew how to deal with people still could not deal with Alex at that moment. She tried to talk to her, but she barely got an answer or any reaction.

Sawyer approached the two and sat down next to Juliet.

"What are you doing?" Juliet asked as she watched the people working.

"A fire." Sawyer said. "It was one of Montezuma's crazy ideas."

Juliet laughed. "Do you want to see if Kate wants to come here?" She asked Sawyer, she did not want to get away from Alex. "She's in Jack's tent, she's been there a long time alone ... I do not know if it's good for her."

"Sure, I'll call her." Sawyer kissed Juliet and stood up.

The night had already appeared and everything was dark. "Freckles?" Sawyer called for Kate, he did not see very well inside the tent. "Hey Freckles." He decided to enter. Sawyer tripped over something and almost fell, it was an empty bottle. "Damn it."

He looked sideways, but it was hard to see. With much effort he saw that Kate was in the corner of the tent, still sitting on the plane's seat when Jack and Juliet left. "Freckles." He called again. Sawyer walked over to where she was and bent down. She did not answer.

He put his hands on her face and shook her. "KATE." Sawyer spoke louder.

Kate woke up, startled. Sawyer was also startled by her fright. He could see her eyes wide, and hear her breath catching. "Geez, Freckles, I thought you passed out."

"I was just sleeping a little." She replied, turning to the side to find a comfortable position to go back to sleep.

"Sleeping a little?" He repeated. "That's what I call heavy sleep, I made so much noise coming in here and you did not move an inch."

Kate laughed.

"It's not funny, you scared me, girl." Sawyer teased her when he saw her laughing. "Hey Freckes, Juliet's calling you to stay around the campfire with everyone."

"I do not want to go, I'm sleepy." Kate soon responded, her face growing serious again. She settled into the seat.

"Do you want to stay here alone in the dark?" He asked as if it was a horrible thing.

"Yeah, people sleep in the dark, Sawyer." She answered back, Sawyer could see a smile hidden in the corner of her lips.

"C'mon, Freckles." He insisted. "We want you with us."

Katie bit her lip. She wanted to go, she knew that now that she was awake, when Sawyer left, she was very likely to be afraid again. But at the same time she did not want to have to face Alex and the possible sadness she was feeling for Karl's loss.

"Is this a yes?" He tickled Kate.

"Wait, I'm thinking." She laughed.

"Do not think too much, just let's go." He stood up and putting his hands under her armpits he lifted her.

"Wait, I still ..." Kate tried to speak as Sawyer gently pushed her out of the tent. "STOP IT." She screamed, her voice beginning to tear. "I do not know if I want to go."

"Freckles, what's wrong?" Sawyer asked, putting his hands on her shoulders. "This is not all because you're sleepy, is it?" He knew it was not.

She bit her bottom lip one more time, and looked away. Sawyer could see she was holding on to keep from crying.

"Okay, if you want it so much you can stay in your dark tent." He released her shoulders and walked away.

Kate stood there, watching Sawyer walk away. Tears streamed down. She went back into the tent, it was all so dark. Kate sat down again where she was and stood there, crying without making a sound. She could hear the voices of the people singing, it only made everything sadder for her.

Sawyer sat down next to Juliet.

"Where's Kate?" She asked.

"She did not want to come." Sawyer replied. "I tried to convince her but she was angry."

Jack, who was sitting next to them, could not help but listen. "She is alone?"

"Yes, she wanted to stay there." Sawyer repeated.

Jack stood up, he imagined something was wrong. "I'll talk to her."

He entered the tent, and his eyes were shocked by the darkness, they had to get used to it. After a few seconds, Jack could see better and saw the brunette curled up like a ball, holding her own legs, and her head resting on her knees.

"Katie." Jack came over and sat in the empty space of the plane seat where she was. He pulled her onto his lap, she kept hiding her face. Jack did not know what was happening, but he did not want to force her to speak. "Shh .." He kissed her on the head. "I'll put you to bed, okay? It's been such a complicated day, you must be exhausted, baby." Jack laid her down and took off her shoes. He saw that Kate was looking at him. "It's all right?"

She wiped one of her eyes with her hand to wipe away the tears before Jack saw them. "How is Alex?"

"She's sad, Katie. Juliet is taking care of her." He sat down beside her and took off his T-shirt to lie down. "But how are you?"

She did not answer. She could not answer. Jack lay down next to her and pulled her close to him. "Honey, it was not your fault." He looked into her eyes. "Please do not torture yourself for it, you've been through so much."

Kate rubbed her eyes again. She tried so hard not to cry. She wanted to get well soon, she wanted to get through all those things.

Jack nuzzled her hair. "It's all right." He made circular movements with his fingertips on her back. He could hear Kate's sobs, and as he moved his lips until they reached her face, he felt the salty taste of a few tears that had escaped.

His lips finally touched hers. Kate responded by kissing him back. Jack kissed her passionately, but still calm so as not to scare her.

Kate slid her hands down his back, digging her nails into his skin. He traced kisses down her neck, down her body as his hands worked meticulously unbuttoning her shirt. Leaving his shirt open, he kept kissing her, coming down to the waistband of the jeans she wore. Jack played a little with his lips on Kate's belly button, while slowly unbuttoning the brunette's pants.

Jack glanced quickly at Kate's face to make sure she was okay. It seemed she was holding her breath, which made him kiss her again on the neck. His hands stroked every inch of skin on her back inside her shirt. He felt with his fingertips as she was chilling. Slowly he took off her shirt and took the opportunity to unbutton the bra with the same care.

She moaned softly.

"Are you okay, Katie?" He asked. He did not want to cause her any discomfort.

She answered by running her hands down his belly, trying to open his belt. She pulled him, but she could not open it in the position she was in. Jack kissed her again as he undid his belt and pulled out the pants and boxers he wore.

Kate began to breathe quickly. She looked so nervous. "You want me to stop, sweetie?"

She shook her head. Kate was so eager for it to finally happen. It was what she wanted most for months. All the thoughts that had made her cry before had disappeared along with the tears. She only thought about what it would be like.

"Just try to relax, okay?" He kissed her cheek as he whispered to her. He positioned himself on top of her, leaning his body against hers, but holding the weight of his body in his own arms. Jack slid her jeans down her hips and legs. Seconds later, he had also removed her panties, leaving her completely naked, just as he was.

Jack felt her tremble, she was pulling at him with her hands so he would start right away. He wanted it as much as she did, but he was so afraid of hurting her. Jack started to move, just sliding his body into hers. The feeling of their skins touching each other completely, in the most sensitive places of their bodies, was wonderful.

He saw that Kate closed her eyes, seizing the moment. She was not scared, he could see in her expression. Jack finally felt brave enough to feel her completely. He pressed his lips to her cheek, giving her a slow kiss. He finally pressed himself against her, as he slowly spread her legs. She moaned louder. He kept his lips in her skin, giving her many kisses.

Jack started at a slow pace, there was no need to hurry. Kate was completely shivering. He watched her face, her eyebrows a little wrinkled, her breath catching. He loved how with every movement he made her expression changed.

It was wonderful for him to know that he was responsible for causing those feelings in her. He heard her whimper, her breathing seemed harder and Jack started to slow down.

"Please, Jack, keep it up." He heard her beg. "Do not stop it feels so good."

He kissed her, as he increased his pace a little. Kate spread her legs a little wider and placed them around Jack. His hands traveled every inch of her body. It was amazing how well they fit together. Jack wished he had done this much sooner, before Kate went through so many bad things. Maybe he would have protected her better if they were boyfriend and girlfriend.

She kept her eyes closed while Jack lowered his lips down her neck, teasing her a little more. Kate moaned, Jack could feel she was close. He stepped up, steady. She squeezed him against her body, moaning a little louder. "Jack." It was hard to her to say something, her heart was beating so fast, and an intense heat washed over her. Kate had no control over the sensations she felt, or even about her moans. It feels so good. Jack quickened the pace even more and whispered something in her ear. Suddenly Jack felt her small body shudder, losing all her strength. A few seconds later, Jack lost the strength of his body as well as Kate.

He lay down beside her, pulling her closer to him. Jack kissed the brunette's forehead as they twined their bare legs.

"Did you know that I love you, Katie?" He spoke with difficulty, still almost breathless, smiling at her.

She smiled up at him. Sure enough, she was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. "I love you too, Jack." She whispered and snuggled into his chest.

He still could not sleep. I was thinking about what had just happened, it seemed like a dream, but it was not. Kate was there with him, she was in his arms. He ran his fingertips along her back, affectionately. He could now hear the voices of the people at the stake.

Jack looked down at Kate. She was already asleep, so beautiful. He did not tire of admiring her, he wanted that moment, with her there in his arms to last forever. He pulled the blanket to cover them, and nuzzled her hair again. He felt like the happiest man in the world.


	32. Getting Better?

**I'm so glad you're enjoying it. S2**

 **I'm writing a little every day and this chapter ended up getting a little bigger than the others so LOL**

 **I miss updating daily just as before, because if I take to update, it takes to "talk to you again" .. anyways.**

 **I hope you enjoy this too! Love you (:**

* * *

Jack woke up with Juliet calling him. He was completely lost, he did not know what time it was.

"Jack, Alex is not well, she's very pale and icy." She spoke hurriedly.

Jack stretched to get up when he remembered that he was not wearing anything. "Hmm ... I'll go, okay? You can wait for me, I'll be there, just give me a few minutes."

When Juliet heard him say those words, she had a little more time to look around. She saw Jack's clothes on Kate's floor. "It seems the night was good, D. Shephard." She teased him.

Jack sighed, and bent down to pick up his clothes.

Juliet laughed out of the tent, and Jack ended up laughing at the situation as well. He dressed quickly, gave Kate a kiss, and went to Juliet's tent to check how Alex was.

She was lying down, covered and trembling.

"Where did she spend the night?" Jack soon asked.

"In Kate's tent." Juliet sighed. "She did not want to sleep in mine, she preferred to be alone."

Jack put his hand on Alex's forehead. It was colder than ice.

"Alex, can you answer me?" He tried to talk to her. Since no one had spent the night with her, only she could answer a few questions.

She nodded.

"Great, that's great, Alex!" Jack smiled at her. "When did you start to feel bad?"

"Early in the morning." She spoke in a weak voice.

"Were you wearing a blanket?"

Alex shook his head. "I stared at the sea."

"Alex!" Juliet scolded her.

"She's got a cold, and she obviously has not eaten anything, right, young lady?" Jack asked her, but it was a statement.

She shook her head again.

"I'll bring you something to eat, Alex." Jack stood up. "And you need to take care of that cold does not get worse."

"You can leave, Jack, I'll find something for her to eat." She followed him out of the tent. "I was going to ask about Kate, but clearly she's better after tonight, right?" She smiled up at him.

"Juliet, can you stop it?" He smiled shyly. "She looked good, but to be completely okay, she's going to need some time, just like Alex."

"I know." She kept the smile on her face. "Go stay close to her, you will not want her to wake up by herself."

He shook his head, laughing. "No, I do not really want to."

Jack went back to the tent and tried to lie down without making too much noise or movement to keep Kate awake. He slowly put his arms around her, pulling her closer to him.

The brunette made a sound as if waking. She rubbed one eye, and when she finished, she let her hand rest lazily on his chest. She opened her eyes slowly, meeting Jack's. "Good morning, little one." He smiled and kissed her forehead, pulling her closer as he kissed her.

Kate smiled, and closed her eyes again. "I do not want to leave here." She whimpered.

"You do not have to, Katie." He whispered to her. "We can stay together as much as you want, okay?" Jack pressed her against him.

"Why are you all dressed already?" She finally realized, feeling the fabric of his clothes against her skin.

"I needed to see how Alex was." Jack explained quickly. "But now ..." He kissed her quickly on the lips. "... I just want to think ..." Jack turned her on the bed and positioned himself on top of her. "... on how you are." He kissed her face several times, affectionately, as he tickled her.

She laughed. "I need to put on some clothes first." Kate blushed, she was still the same way she slept, wearing nothing.

"No, you do not." Jack joked with her, but he sat her down and gave her some clothes. He helped her get dressed."Are you feeling more comfortable now?"

Kate nodded and smiled at him. She seemed so happy today.

"You want to take a walk, baby?" He asked as he stroked her face.

"No, I want to stay here with you." She jumped on him and buried her face in his neck.

Jack hugged her and took her in his lap. "But who said I did not want to be with you, huh?" He filled her with kisses when Juliet appeared in the tent.

"Oh, I'm sorry to interrupt .." She came in a little embarrassed. "But I was doing something for Alex to eat and I figured Kate was hungry too." She brought a plate of several pieces of fish and vegetables.

Kate smiled. "I'm really hungry." She took the plate of food Juliet offered her. "Thank you."

"You're welcome, honey." Juliet smiled back. "You're so smiling today, you look even more beautiful." She ran her hand over Kate's face and gave Jack a wink, who was still holding the brunette on his lap. "Has your belly stopped hurting?"

"More or less." Kate answered as she took a piece of fish and brought it to her mouth. "Sometimes I feel a twinge."

"We need to take a look at this later, Jack." Juliet worried.

"Yeah, let's just wait until she finishes eating." He kissed her temple as he ran his hand down her back.

"Do you want?" Kate offered Jack a piece. She was so hungry she barely joined the conversation now.

"You can eat, sweetie." Jack laughed at how fast she ate.

"Do not you guys want to go to Alex?" She suggested. "I think she'd be happy to see you, Katie." Juliet really thought it would do her and Kate well.

Kate looked at Jack. She thought Alex would blame her for Karl's death.

"Do you want to go, baby?" Jack looked at her, pulling her hair back from her face. She did not answer.

"Please, Katie." Juliet knelt to talk to her better. "Alex will like it so much."

The brunette bit her lip and looked from Juliet to Jack. She sighed. "OK." Kate spoke softly, her eyes filling with tears. She laid her head on Jack's shoulder, it was going to be hard to face Alex.

"Hey." Juliet took her hand. "Where's that cute smile?" A tear trickled from Kate's green eyes and she quickly wiped it clean, ashamed to have cried for it. Jack hugged her. "Oh, Katie." Juliet stroked her hair. "I'm sorry, you do not have to go if you still find it difficult to meet her, okay? But she is not mad at you at all." She looked at Jack guiltily for taking Kate's smile from her face. "I just thought it would be a good idea."

"Alex is not very well, sweetie." Jack wiped at her tear. "We thought maybe you could cheer her up, that's all."

Kate took a deep breath and nodded. "I can go." She wondered if maybe Alex was in a worse situation than hers.

"Are you sure?" Jack looked into her eyes. She nodded again.

Jack and Kate stood up. Juliet smiled, proud of Kate's attitude. "Thank you so much honey." She hugged her.

Alex was still curled up in the blanket, sitting in the corner of the tent. Jack and Kate were holding hands and he could feel it when Kate squeezed his hand harder as he entered. He put his arm around her.

"Hey Alex, look who came to see you." Juliet smiled at her as she handed her the same plate of food she'd given Kate.

"Hey Jack, hey Kate." She struggled to smile, still pale.

"You'll feel better after eating, Alex." Jack emphasized. He sat on the floor and pulled Kate's hand up so she could sit there too.

The silence that began was a little embarrassing. Juliet wondered if she had made the right decision by putting the two together, until Alex herself broke the silence.

"Are you okay, Kate?" She asked in a slightly nasal voice, from the cold she had.

"Yes ..." Kate answered quietly, afraid that she would start talking about Karl. "How about you?" Jack was still holding hands with her, and he felt her hand sweating.

"I wanted to apologize for what I did." Alex started. Jack and Juliet looked at each other, they already imagined what she was going to say and they had not told Kate about it. "I was so scared ..."

Juliet anticipated before Alex said something they did not want Kate to hear. "Alex, you better not try too hard to talk like that."

"Please, let me finish." Alex asked. Juliet and Jack swallowed. "I'm so sorry that I made you think that you could get pregnant safely on the island. He's so obsessed with it that he did not leave you alone, made you do so many tests, and when you fled he started to kill those people ... and everything.. That was my fault. " Alex spoke quickly, not thinking very well about what he was saying.

Kate was staring at Alex without understanding. She turned to Jack. "Did you know that?" She was so mad. "All those exams, you saw the results, did you know .."

Jack did not know what to say. "I did not mean to scare you, Katie." He cupped her face in his hands.

Alex looked at Juliet, startled. "She did not know?"

Juliet shook her head.

"You knew that, too?" Kate turned to Juliet. She felt so betrayed. The brunette got up quickly and left the tent, running while she started to cry.

"Kate!" Jack got up and followed her. She tried to run fast, but in the sand it was difficult. Jack soon caught up with her. He caught her arm as she tried to leave. He hugged her. "Katie, hey ... calm down." She stopped moving but was still breathing fast. "Can I explain?"

She was crying in Jack's chest. "People died because of me .." The muffled voice came out quietly.

"Shhh ..." He was kissing her head. "Ben killed these people, Katie, it was not you." He sat on the sand with her, and made her lay in his arms.

"Why do not you ever tell me anything, Jack?" She asked sobbing inconsolably. All the rage she'd felt for everything had suddenly come back into her. Anger over her mother had never believed her, and had chosen a man instead of her, her own daughter, the anger she had for being trapped on that damn island. The hatred she had for being used by those men and the hatred of knowing that the only people she could trust, Jack and Juliet lied to her all the time about things that were happening to her.

Jack sighed, he felt so bad about that question. He knew exactly how she felt, Kate herself had made him feel that way when they first met, she hid everything from him and now he understood why, her life had always been so difficult.

Kate tried to get out of Jack's arms. She was so angry and sad at the same time, wanted to be alone but at the same time wanted someone to hug her. She was so confused.

Jack tried to keep her still, but apparently she was relentless. "Katie, it's okay, please calm down." He just wanted her to calm down to tell the truth. He held her tight, he did not want her to go around aimlessly and do something stupid.

* * *

In the tent, Alex apologized. "I did not imagine she did not know, why did not you tell her?"

"She's been through a lot of things while stuck at the station, Alex." Juliet explained. "We just wanted to spare her from having more suffering."

"What happened to her other than being persecuted?" Alex became interested. "Is there anything I can do to help her?" Alex knew what it was like to be pursued by Ben, it was just terrible. But she could not imagine anything worse.

"Oh honey, you will not want to know .." Juliet sat down. "And you've done enough. Try to finish eating."

"Juliet, do not you want to go check on her?" Alex asked as he took the plate back.

"Jack's with her, it's okay." She smiled.

"I do not think it's .." Alex pointed out and Juliet saw Jack trying to hold Kate while she seemed to make the greatest force in the world to get out of there.

"Oh God." Juliet put her hands to her mouth. "Stay here, Alex, please."

Alex nodded, with an expression that this was something obvious, she would not leave.

Juliet ran to Jack and Kate and as she approached she heard the cry of the brunette. Jack had managed to keep his cool this time, but Kate was not cooperating with him.

Juliet held Kate affectionately behind her, taking her by the waist. "Darling, do you want to come with me to another place?" She asked softly in her ear. The brunette was still struggling to pull herself free of all the hands holding her. Kate tried to give headbutt in Jack to escape since his arms were held by his hands but he swerved quickly.

"Honey, you're going to end up hurting yourself." Juliet kept her voice calm and still hugged her while Kate could not get away. She tried again, but this time Jack swerved and she slammed her forehead hard against Jack's shoulder.

"Katie, are you okay?" Jack worried, she had really put strength in that blow. He could feel, his shoulder hurts a lot now.

Kate felt dizzy with the impact and get startled. She finally gave up fighting and Juliet could handle her better."Oh God..It's okay, come here, darling. I said you were going to get hurt."

Juliet pulled her closer and nuzzled her in her arms. She rubbed a hand quickly over Kate's forehead, where she had been hurt. "It's alright." Juliet could feel her breath catching and sobbing. "We know you're upset, honey. We know that, and it's okay to get mad." Juliet kissed her forehead. "But it's important to try to control yourself, okay?" She smiled at the brunette.

Kate looked frightened now that she was not so nervous anymore. She was always surprised that she was kind of violent and had no control over what she did when frustration took over. It had always been like this, since she was small, it was in one of those times that she ended up killing her father and destroying her own life for it. Kate could not handle frustrations, she always looked for a way to escape, even before. "It's so hard." She spoke through her tears.

"I know it's ..." Juliet wiped her tears. "But we're here to help you, are not we, Jack?" Juliet was smiling. She did not want Kate to feel even worse. "We all have our difficulties."

"Absolutely." Jack smiled at Kate as well, took her hand and kissed it there.

"I'm sorry." Kate looked at Jack, with her sad eyes. She still felt bad for them having lied to her, but she realized she had overreacted.

Juliet and Jack looked at each other. They knew Kate was slowly getting better, they could see the changes taking place in her. But these outbursts of anger still needed to be contained, but they did not know how yet.

"It's okay, Katie." He stroked her face, smiling at her. "It's okay." After a few seconds, Jack asked her. "Do you want to talk about it, baby?"

Kate sniffed but didn't answer. He put her on his lap and hugged her.

"Eh?" He tried again, looking at her affectionately.

She shook her head, and laid it on his shoulder.

"It's alright, she needs to rest her mind a bit, right, honey?" Juliet smiled at her. "And soon that smile she had in the morning will come back." Juliet leaned her finger on the tip of Kate's nose. "Well, I'll see how Alex is." She stood up smiling at them.

Jack let Kate sit between her legs and pull her back against his body. He put his arms around her and placed his face close to hers. Jack kissed her temple and they stood there, not saying anything, but enjoying each other's company.

* * *

Juliet entered the tent and Alex soon realized her concern.

"So, was everything okay?" Alex asked, she was actually blushing more after eating.

Juliet sat down beside her. "More or less, my dear." She sighed as she measured Alex's temperature with her hand.

"What happened to her?" Alex wanted to know.

Juliet did not feel right telling the details so she decided to summarize. "Kate has always had a very difficult life ... and since Ben got into her life everything has gotten worse a million times." Juliet looked at the girl with a sad look.

"Does Danny's death have anything to do with Kate?" She was beginning to associate things.

Juliet bit her lip and thought for a few seconds before answering. "Yes, dear, you've got it." She felt a little bad that Alex knew that sort of thing now.

"Oh my God." Alex did not believe it. "So she's the girl. That's why they thought she was pregnant."

"Shhh, Alex." Juliet covered her mouth gently. "She and Jack are sitting nearby." She spoke very softly.

"Sorry, I did not know." Alex whispered. "But are you still hiding things from her?" She looked shocked.

"We're not hiding anything else, Alex, but you do not have to make her remember, right?" Juliet explained calmly, but without whispering.

"How is she dealing with this?" The girl scratched her head.

"Honey, we should not be talking about this." Juliet tried to change the subject. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm trying not to think about it, could you just ... do not ask? Please." Alex looked away. What she wanted least at the time was remembering Karl.

"Forgive me, Alex .." Juliet sat down beside her. She saw that Alex took the blanket off her and started putting on her shoes. "What are you doing?"

"I need to be distracted, I can not stay here all day." She complained.

"Okay, first let's see this with Jack, honey." Juliet stopped the girl from getting out of bed. "Not an hour ago you were super bad and could barely get up."

"Juliet, I'm fine ..." Alex rolled his eyes. "You worry too much."

"Jack!" Juliet shouted from the entrance of the tent. "Could you come here, please?" Jack said something that Alex could barely hear but she heard Juliet's response to her. "He's coming, I'm going to stay with Kate, okay?"

Alex took a deep breath. She hated the way Juliet and Jack thought she and Kate were almost breaking.

Jack entered the tent and then asked. "It's all right?"

"I'm fine .." Alex stood up. "Juliet called you just to make sure I'm okay and I can leave." She shook her head, showing that she did not agree with the idea.

"OK." Jack put his hand on her forehead. "Your temperature is normal .. do you really want to leave, Alex? After what happened .."

"I want to leave BECAUSE this has happened." She put the backpack on her back. "If I stand here I'll just think about it all day, I'm going to get crazy."

Jack realized that she was right. "Yeah, you're right."

"So I'm free to go?" Alex asked anxiously. She could not stand being in that tent anymore.

"You are, but where are you going?" Jack did not want her to walk alone on the island or leave the camp.

"Find something I can help them out here at the camp." She forced a smile. She was not well on the inside, but she did not want to demonstrate. She barely knew most of those people. Alex left the tent and was finally able to breathe some fresh air. She walked down the beach not knowing exactly where to go. She was looking to something to do to be useful to the camp.

* * *

Jack went back to meet Kate and Juliet outside. Sawyer was here now, too.

"You let her leave?" Juliet asked, not very pleased.

"She would not stay there if she was not tied up." Jack laughed. "She said she needed to be distracted." He looked at Kate, who was just listening to the conversation, looking upset, and gave her a slow kiss on the cheek. ""Come on, Katie, I want to check the twinge you said you're having." He gave her his hand so Kate could get up more easily.

"Think about what I said, Freckles." Sawyer looked at Kate.

"James!" Juliet raged with him, angry. "Stop saying that."

Jack looked confused but did not dare to ask what was going on. He led Kate by the hand until they reached the tent.

Jack helped Kate to sit on the bed, she watched him as he set the pack on the floor.

"Do you think that too?" Kate asked.

Jack turned to her intrigued. "What, honey?"

"What Sawyer said.." Her cheeks automatically turned red.

"What did Sawyer say, Katie? I was not there." He sat down beside her on the bed.

"He said that I should be fine and that I'm exaggerating to get attention." She frowned, tears forming in her eyes."He said even Alex looks better."

Jack sighed. He put his hand on the back of Kate's neck and helped her to lie down. "Sawyer was just teasing you, you know him better than I do, baby."

He lifted her top, enough so he could reach in and feel if there was something wrong.

"Do you really think that, Jack?" She asked in a tearful voice.

"Yeah, Sawyer wants you to be okay, and that's the way he shows it." Jack smiled at her. He pressed on some specific points, but it was not even swollen. "It looks like everything's fine here, Katie."

"But it still hurts." She complained.

"Can you show me where you feel pain?" Jack still had his hand on her stomach.

Kate put her hand over his and showed him where it was.. It was far below, almost where the waistband of her pants began, on the left side. Jack slowly began to move his hand where she felt pain.

"Do you want me to give you a massage?"

Kate nodded. She loved the way Jack cared for her, but she was worried about what Sawyer had said. She'd never had so much attention from Jack like that, and she was a little afraid of losing it. Even Alex, who had lost her boyfriend the day before, looked better than she did, it would not be long before Jack got tired of taking care of her.

She sat on the bed. "You still have not answered me .." She spoke in a timid voice.

"About what, Katie?" He looked at her, not quite understanding where she wanted to get into this conversation.

She looked at him as if he knew. Her expression was a mixture of sadness, doubt and fear of what he could answer.

Jack realized what it was. "Katie .." He hugged her. "I think you're way better than before." Jack kissed her on the head. "Do not compare yourself to Alex, she has not even gone through half the things you've been through, honey." He saw the tears in Kate's eyes growing back. "And she's trying to get better, she's not quite yet. Each has a different way of going through it, and her way is getting lonely, okay?"

Kate nodded. She seemed calmer.

"Now .. come here .." Jack put her on his lap. "... that I'm going to make this pain go away, okay?" He rested his forehead on hers for a few seconds. He tilted her body back, holding her in one of his arms and then the palm of his free hand circled the sore region of her belly. "Just try to relax, sweetheart."

Kate closed her eyes and rested her head on Jack. The pain was really going away. "Thanks." She smiled up at him.

Jack could not resist that smile. His lips soon touched Kate's lips and they shared a passionate kiss.

* * *

Alex paced the forest, trying not to get too far from the camp. She realized that the water was running out and decided to go get more. She felt good walking in the woods again, it was good for her. When she realized that she was drifting aimlessly, she remembered that she did not know where they got water.

Alex decided to go back, it was no use just to wander around without knowing where to go.

She decided to go back. She turned and suddenly she was trapped about ten feet tall, on a net. Alex looked around, not quite understanding what might have happened to her end there. She screamed for help, hoping someone would soon be able to help her. The girl waited a few minutes and shouted a few more times, but to no avail. It seemed that no one was listening.

* * *

It was already getting dark and Juliet started to worry that she would not see Alex around.

"I looked everywhere for it and nothing." She paced back and forth as Sawyer tried to calm her down.

"Calm down, she must be coming back, Blondie." He rubbed her arms. "You worry too much about everything."

"Actually you do not care about anything, James." She still annoyed at the comment he had made to Kate earlier.

"Oh come on .." He shook his head. "Are you still mad about that?"

"You know I should not have said that to her." She said in a steady voice.

"OK, sorry." He said not to end up fighting. "You want to look for Alex, I mean, in the forest?"

"We should let Jack know first." She said quickly. "It would be better if everyone in the camp knew."

"Okay, go tell Jack, I'll tell Sayid." Sawyer decided to take action, maybe he did not care very little, and wanted to prove to her otherwise.

* * *

Alex was still shouting from time to time, he was running out of steam. If only she had reached the rope hanging from it ... It was extremely uncomfortable to be hanging there in that hammock. His legs and arms were beginning to tingle.

She was almost crying when the net dropped. It looked like someone had cut the rope that held it up.


	33. The Missing Girl

**Finally a new chapter! I'm sorry for the time I'm taking.**

 **It's much harder to take time to write because I kind of forget what's going on in the story, LOL.** **But do not worry, I reread everything before to post it.**

 **I just can not wait for school's semester to end, too much homework, ugh :(**

 **I tried to put more interactions of Juliet and Sawyer, but there will be more in the next chapter, they deserve it :)**

 **I hope you like this chapter too ! Thanks for the reviews and ideas, I love you s2**

* * *

Jack and Kate were sitting on the bed, talking and joking around when Juliet interrupted them.

"Jack, Alex is gone." She gasped, from running.

"What?" Jack immediately turned to her. "Are you sure?" She said she would not leave the beach.

"Well, apparently she left .." Juliet rubbed her head, worried. "It's getting dark, and it looks like it's going to rain."

"I'll talk to Sayid, we'll find her." Jack stood up confidently.

"Sawyer already went to warn him." She really hoped that was Jack's reaction.

"I'll go with you." Kate got up, and walked to the exit of the tent.

"Hey hey hey, no way, Katie." He gripped her waist. "You stay here."

"But Jack, I want to help Alex and .." She began to explain when it was interrupted.

"Honey, you stay." He stroked her face. "Juliet will stay here with you. I'll be right back, okay?" Jack kissed her forehead and left. She folded her arms in annoyance.

Juliet looked at Kate disgruntled. "I know, honey, I did not mean to stay either." She put her arm around Kate and led her to the bed to sit down. "But maybe we'd better stay, the more people go, the slower it gets to walk."

"Yeah ..." She sighed. "Maybe." Kate wanted to go with Jack a lot. As much as it was almost dark, and it was windy enough, she would feel better knowing where he was and how he was.

* * *

Jack joined Sayid and Sawyer, who were already ready to go in search of Alex. They left their weapons ready, if needed, and entered the forest, searching for any sign she might have left.

The sun was almost set, and even with torches, it became increasingly difficult to see. They entered the woods and saw no sign of it.

Sayid had a sudden memory. "I remember Alex saying something about getting water, Rose needed it and she volunteered."

"And you say that now?" Sawyer complained.

"I remembered now, I'm sorry." He spoke calmly.

"Okay, let's not waste time arguing." Jack pointed to the southeast. "The caves are there, she must have gotten lost." He was already following the path he had shown.

"Alex knows this forest better than we do, I do not think she would have gotten lost .." Sawyer complained to himself.

* * *

It was dark. Alex could see only a figure approaching her. She started to breathe faster, did not know who was there.

She stood up, tried to pull away from whoever was approaching her. Alex turned, started to run. Her foot caught in the net, she tried to detach herself.

Alex felt a deep pain in the head and everything turned black. She was knocked out.

* * *

Jack, Sawyer and Sayid were walking for hours. They went to the caves and there was no sign that Alex had passed by.

"We should go back." Sayid suggested. "Tomorrow morning we can look for it, with the light of day will be much easier."

"Tomorrow morning?" Jack shook his head. "Do you want her to spend the night alone in the woods?"

"What if she's back to the camp?" Sawyer said. "And we're here, not knowing where to go."

"He's right, Jack." Sayid agreed with Sawyer for the first time. "No use walking without a clue."

Jack gave up. He was worried about Alex, the wind was too strong to be wandering through the forest at dawn, but he would not return to camp without her. "Okay, you guys can come back." Jack spoke quietly. "I'll keep looking."

"Jack, it's useless ..." Sayid tried to explain when he heard a loud noise of rain. Luckily, they were in the caves and protected. But now it was impossible to leave, Jack realized that.

* * *

"Katie, try to get some sleep." Juliet watched as she rolled back and forth on the bed. She sat on the bed next to the brunette. "It's already dawn, honey."

"I just can not." She explained as she sat on the bed. "I'm worried, we should go after them."

"Get out in this rain?" Juliet giggled. "There's no way, look outside." It was really strong, it was almost impossible to believe that the tents were still standing.

"I can not .." Kate hugged her own legs. It thundered loudly, and the canvas of the tent swayed in the wind. She looked up in fear that everything would fall.

Juliet hugged her and let her rest her head on her shoulder. "I'm worried about them too, darling." She kissed Kate on the head. "But I'm sure tomorrow they'll be here."

"You think?" She was still looking worried.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure." Juliet smiled at Kate. "Now try to rest, sweetheart, if you sleep tomorrow it will be faster, right?"

Kate nodded and lay down. She was very tired, but all those thoughts about Jack and the others were not there, they bothered her to the point of losing all sleep.

Juliet covered her and lay down next to her. "It's going to be all right, Katie." As Kate closed her eyes trying to sleep, Juliet stroked her long brown curls. She had told Kate to sleep, but she herself knew that she would probably not be able to.

* * *

Jack stared at one point, staring. He barely realized what was happening around him, he was simply too absorbed by his thoughts. Jack thought about how they would find Alex after the rain. If the night was already difficult because they could not see, after the rain all the clues that she could have left were washed.

He also thought about how Kate would be, was she sleeping well? He sold so much that he cared if she, Juliet and the others would be protected from the rain somehow. He hoped all the tents were up.

Sawyer was already lying down, but he could not sleep either. If he'd known they'd be stuck here all night, he would have tried to persuade Jack and Sayid to pick him up in the morning. Now they were all in a terrible situation there. He thought of Juliet, and how he would like to be with her now.

Sayid was the only one who managed to fall asleep quickly.

Sawyer turned to Jack. "Yeah, Dr. Giggles and his great ideas." He spoke wryly.

Jack was suddenly taken out of his thoughts with the comment. "You came for Alex?" He asked Sawyer, his eyes serious.

"What?" Sawyer had listened but the question left his mouth without realizing it.

"You came to look for Alex?" Jack repeated it more clearly. "Was that your real reason?"

"What are you talking about? Of course it was." Sawyer frowned at Jack.

"You seemed to give up very easy when we did not find her footprints." He spoke looking down, stirring the bonfire they had made.

"Oh yeah, because I have a sense of reality." Sawyer stiffened.

"I thought maybe I was doing this to prove something to Juliet." Jack let it out.

"Are you doing this for Kate?" Sawyer asked, being rude. He knew that what Jack was talking about was the truth, but he would never admit it to anyone. He decided to ask her to disguise what he felt.

"For Kate?" Jack laughed. "I wanted to be with Kate now, but I'm not, because I'm actually doing this for Alex."

"Thank you so much for the information, I'm going to sleep better now." Sawyer turned aside to indicate that the conversation had ended there.

Jack looked up and sighed. He just wanted to be out of there at that moment.

* * *

Juliet woke up in the middle of the night to turn around. Apparently she had been able to get some sleep, that was great. Juliet closed her eyes to try to go back to sleep when she realized Kate was not in bed. She quickly opened her eyes and looked around.

From the almost no illumination coming through the opening of the tent, she saw that Kate was sitting there, her legs being held by her arms, and her eyes empty, looking out.

Juliet got up and walked to Kate, putting the blanket around her. She sat down next to the brunette. She did not move.

"Honey, what are you doing? How long have you been here?" She asked in a warm tone, she knew Kate was probably sensitive.

"I'm waiting for them." Kate spoke almost whispering. She bit her trembling lower lip.

Juliet sighed and put an arm around Kate. She pulled her closer. "You can not spend all night looking out, sweetie."

"Yes I can." Kate could no longer handle all the sadness and worry she felt. Her tears and sobs came out with her words. "I'm so worried."

Juliet felt the same way, but she knew she could not show it. She needed to be firm now, and give herself confidence to reassure Kate.

"Hey, look at me." She wiped her tears with her thumb as she cupped her face with her hands. "They're Jack, Sawyer and Sayid. They know how to take care of themselves, Katie. Don't you think?"

Kate hugged Juliet tightly and buried her face in her shoulder. She was unconsciously waiting for someone to comfort her and Juliet did. She ran her hand over Kate's back. "Let's go to bed, honey? You need to get some sleep." She stroked the brunette's hair.

Kate shook her head. "I want to be awake when they come back."

"This can take a while, darling." Juliet looked at her. Kate was still looking out, as if she thought they would be there in a few minutes.

"I do not mind waiting." Kate spoke softly, she was determined to stay there all night long.

"OK." Juliet said when she realized that she would not be able to convince her to sleep, but she hoped Kate would fall asleep without realizing it. "But if you're going to stay here, you need to be comfortable at least, right?" She smiled at Kate and pulled the blanket around her so she covered it better. "You can lean in here, honey, I'll wait with you, okay?" Juliet let Kate lay on her and hugged her. "I will not leave you here alone."

* * *

Sayid called Jack and Sawyer out. It was morning already. Although the day was still very gray, the rain had passed. They got up and quickly picked up Alex again.

Sayid was ahead, followed by Jack and Sawyer who were barely talking. They had walked for a few minutes when they found a net on the floor. It was apparent that someone had been arrested there recently. Sayid walked around looking for clues when he found a sneaker, just one.

"Hey .." He held up the sneakers in his hand to show Jack and Saywer.

"It's Alex's tennis." Jack concluded.

"This is one of Rousseau's nets." Sayid remembered.

"The Frenchwoman is not her mother?" Sawyer asked, being unconcerned to think the girl might be with her mother.

"Yes." Sayid confirmed. "Do you think Alex is with her?"

"Maybe .." Jack took the sneaker from Sayid's hands. "Can you find the place where she lives? We could check, I mean, if that's okay with her."

"Is a good idea." Sayid approved. "But it would be safer for me to go it alone. Rousseau does not like visitors and if she's even with Alex it might be a problem to be going in three."

"Are you sure?" Saywer asked.

"Yes, you two should go back to the camp." Sayid told them. He took the sneaker from Jack's hands and went to meet Rousseau.

* * *

Alex opened his eyes. It was all clear, she was in her old room, the way she had left it. She looked around, trying to remember what had happened, and as she fixed her eyes on the door, she saw Ben coming in with a breakfast tray for her.

"How do you feel, Alex?" He asked, smiling.

She looked at him in disbelief. Had it all been a dream? Alex could not say, but she felt her head aching badly. Alex realized that everything had really happened.

"What am I doing here?" She asked Ben, startled.

"What do you mean, this is your room, daughter." He replied, sinically. He put the glass of juice in her hands and Alex drank. As she tilted her head a little, she felt the pain getting worse.

"You hit me on the head?" She felt the bruise on the back of her head with her fingertips. She was beginning to remember.

"Alex, calm down, I do not know what you're talking about." Ben took her arms gently.

"I want to get out of here now." She screamed, and tried to get up, but could not. She still felt dizzy.

"Relax, Alex." Ben spoke to her as she laid the girl on the bed. "Just relax."

She looked frightened at him.

* * *

Juliet woke with the light coming through the tent, and rubbed her eyes. Her back ached a little because she had spent the night leaning against one of the coolers where Jack kept his medicine. She looked down, Kate was still lying with her head on her lap, but awake.

Juliet stroked her hair. "Are you awake, darling?"

"They did not come back." Her eyes were filled with tears. Dark circles were beginning to form around them.

"Katie, have you been up all night?" Juliet frowned and helped the brunette to sit down. She was so exhausted that her body could barely stand, and her eyes looked heavy. "I'm getting worried about you."

"It's not me you need to worry about." She spoke in her sleepy voice, referring to the three and Alex.

"Honey, look at me .." He cupped Kate's face gently. "They're fine, they'll be here soon, but you need to rest."

"I can not, I miss Jack." Kate started to cry softly. "What if something happened to them?"

"Nothing happened to them, darling." Juliet laid her on her lap. "Do not think about it, Jack is fine, Sawyer and Sayid too, they're going to find Alex." She was not so sure what she was saying but something needed to be said to reassure her. "Just close your eyes, Katie. You have to worry about yourself now, okay?" Juliet rubbed her head with her fingertips. "Do you want me to help you get into bed?"

Kate shook her head, still crying softly. "No, we have to go look for them." She tried to get up, but Juliet stopped her.

"They're alright, darling, they'll be back soon." She kissed her head and tucked her into her arms. "Just relax, you're exhausted." She whispered to Kate. "It's gonna be okay."

* * *

It had been about two hours, Kate had not yet been able to sleep, when from inside the tent Juliet saw Jack and Sawyer walking the sand. They were back, finally.

"Katie, look who's here." Juliet whispered to her, smiling. Kate turned and saw them approaching the tent. Seeing them was a relief to the two girls.

Jack and Sawyer entered. Jack soon noticed the dark circles around Kate's eyes, he saw how exhausted she was. "What happened, baby?" He bent down.

"I was so worried about you." Kate jumped in his arms, crying with relief. Jack hugged her tightly, kissing her cheek several times without moving his lips to her face.

"She could not sleep all night, waiting for you guys." Juliet explained, stretching the back that hurt from so much time that she had passed in the same position. Sawyer noticed, and crouched down beside Juliet, then began to lightly massage her shoulders.

"Oh God .. Katie." Jack looked into her wet eyes. "It's okay now, sweetheart." He reassured the girl by rubbing her back as he hugged her.

"Where's Sayid, and Alex?" Juliet finally asked.

"We believe Alex is with Rousseau, so Sayid went to check." Jack explained as he laid Kate on the bed.

"He sent us back." Sawyer completed the explanation. "Soon he'll be back, Blondie."

"I hope she's really with her mother." Juliet spoke in a worried tone of voice. "Well, let's leave them alone, James. She needs to rest."

"Yeah, so do you." Sawyer helped her up. She really needed to lie down to straighten her back.

Jack sat down on the floor beside the bed and stroked the brunette's face. "How are you feeling, sweetie?"

"I'm glad you're back." She spoke softly, her eyes heavy, blinking slowly.

"Do you know how much I missed you last night?" He smiled at her as she struggled to keep her eyes open. "A lot."

"I wanted to go look for you." She confessed.

Jack laughed. "Thank God Juliet did not let you go, right?" He covered her with the blanket.

"Jack...Can you hold me?" Kate asked, she was so sleepy.

Jack nodded. "Sure." He kissed her forehead and lay down. Jack pulled her closer to him, letting her rest her head on his chest. "Get some rest, Katie." Jack whispered to her. He took the opportunity to rest too.

* * *

Sawyer and Juliet were walking along the beach. With all the things that happened, they had not had a moment alone for a long time.

"So you slept badly, Blondie?" Sawyer asked as he took her hand. "Where did this backache come from?"

"Yeah, I kind of slept sitting all night, but it'll pass." She smiled. Juliet sat on the sand, and he sat down with her. They were next to Sawyer's tent.

"You do not want to come in?" He asked, kissing her lips lightly.

Juliet returned the kiss and laid her head on his shoulder. "I'm thinking about Alex, I do not think she's with her mother." She looked up at him.

"Why not?" Sawyer put his hands on her shoulder and massaged them again.

"She would have warned, I know Alex." Juliet spoke vaguely looking at the sea, as if lost in her own thoughts

"Blondie." Sawyer called out. "You need to relax a bit, you're always worried about someone .., sometimes it's Alex, sometimes Kate, sometimes Jack .." He cupped her face. "What about you? Me?"

Juliet smiled at Sawyer and kissed him affectionately. She loved what he said. "We're both fine, James, but they need help and you know."

"The girls okay, I understand, but c'mon, Jack?" Sawyer spoke in his playful way and laughed. "He does not need it."

"You guys treat him as a leader, it's a lot of responsibility." Juliet was still laughing at Sawyer.

"A responsibility he loves to have, you know." Sawyer completed.

Juliet shook her head still smiling. Suddenly, they saw Sayid and Danielle Rousseau walking toward them. Sawyer and Juliet looked at each other.

"Alex does not seem to be with them." Sawyer spoke without taking his eyes off the two figures walking.

"I had already imagined ..." Juliet sighed, dissatisfied.

Juliet shook her head still smiling. Suddenly, they saw Sayid and Danielle Rousseau walking toward them. Sawyer and Juliet looked at each other.

"Alex does not seem to be with them." Sawyer spoke without taking his eyes off the two figures walking.

"I had already imagined ..." Juliet sighed, dissatisfied.

They looked up at Sayid and Danielle as they approached the two.

"So, Alex ...?" Juliet asked, already knowing the answer.

"We still do not know, maybe she got lost in the woods and .." Sayid tried to explain when he was interrupted.

"She did not get lost, that monster captured her." Rousseau shouted nervously. "Just like he's done before."

"Let's calm down." Sayid resumed. "It's a very long and risky way to do it without being sure."

"I'm not asking you to go with me." Rousseau was still raging.

"Where's Jack?" Sayid asked. They needed someone to decide what to do.

"Doc's taking a nap." Sawyer replied with a cheeky grin on his face. He liked it when Jack was not in charge.

"He's taking care of Kate." Juliet replied, disavowing what Sawyer had just said. "I will call him." She stood up and felt the pain in her back again. "And get a remedy for pain .." She finished.

"Want some help, cupcake?" Sawyer soon got up to help.

"It's okay, I'll be right back." She thanked him with her eyes.

When she reached the tent, she called but no one answered. She entered slowly and Juliet realized that Sawyer was actually right. Jack was asleep, hugging Kate. She thought twice and decided to let them sleep, they needed that moment of rest, they could decide without Jack. But since she was there, she began to look for some remedy to ease the back pain she felt.

Juliet opened one of the large coolers where Jack kept the medicine and began to look at each one of the glasses and cards that were there.

"Juliet .." She heard Kate call. Juliet was actually startled to see that she was awake.

She walked over to the bed where Jack and Kate were lying down and sat nearby. "Honey, you still have not slept?" She stroked the brunette's face as she whispered, the dark circles in her eyes were even larger.

"I can not .." She rubbed her eyes, the sleep she felt was immense. "Did they find Alex?"

"Not yet, sweetie, but do not think about it." Juliet looked at the medicine box and decided to give one to Kate. "I'll give you a sleeping pill, Katie. You can not stay like this." Juliet searched for something to make her sleep, crumpled the pill, and handed Kate the powder already mixed in the water bottle. "This will help you, drink it all." She knew that the medicine would make the effect that much faster.

Kate sat down to take the medicine, and the swing in the bed made Jack wake up. "Katie, what are you doing?" He asked with difficulty to open his eyes, but holding her by the waist.

"I gave her a Rozerem." Juliet explained. "Kate still had not been able to sleep."

"Geez, that's strong, Juliet." He looked at Kate, who was already lying down and closing her eyes.

"Well, she needed it, right?" Juliet covered her. "Sayid needs to talk to you, Jack, he's waiting for you outside." She warned him while she was still looking for a medicine for her back.

Jack got up, still sleepy. "Who do you want to drug now?" He asked, annoyed that she was messing with his stuff.

"Myself, I need something for back pain." She forced a smile at the joke he had made.

He got up and quickly picked up a small glass that was in the left corner of the cooler. "Tylenol." Jack put it in her hand and went out to talk to Sayid.

* * *

"Danielle believes Ben is with Alex, but there's no way we're sure." Sayid quickly explained to Jack.

"It's risky to move a group there without being sure." Jack quickly realized.

"Exactly what I said." Sayid looked at Rousseau to see her reaction. "Thank you, Jack."

"I said I can go there, I do not care." She spoke, determined. Danielle was not afraid of anything after so many years living there.

"But how are you going to rescue Alex by yourself?" Sayid asked.

"I'll send a signal to you if Alex is there." Danielle gave the idea.

"What kind of signal?" Jack was curious.

"I do not know, smoke .." She spoke without thinking. "There's always smoke in here, they would not suspect."

Jack and Sayid looked at each other, that was not a bad idea.


	34. I'm Coming Too

**OMG I took so long to upgrade, I feel so bad. But here is a new chapter, I hope you guys like it. S2**

* * *

Alex was out of action. She listened to Ben's voice on the phone in the living room, but she could not quite understand what he was saying. She did not know if she stayed there or tried to run away. She did not know if she pretended that nothing had happened or was trying to find out if Ben had anything to do with it.

Suddenly she shook her head. Of course he had EVERYTHING to do with it, she needed to get out of there. Alex got up from the bed and tried to open the window. It was locked. Her window had never been locked before. She looked at the door and opened it slowly only a fraction. Through the crack, he saw that Ben was still on the phone, his back to her.

Her heart was beating fast, Alex opened the door wider enough for her to pass. She tiptoed to make no noise, she walked unseen through the room where Ben was and came to the front door. Alex turned the knob. It was locked. He never locked that door either. Clearly he wanted to hold her.

Ben heard the noise and she could hear him talking on the phone. "Wait a minute, I'll be right back." He went into the living room. "Alex, where are you going?"

* * *

Juliet took the Tylenol that Jack had given her and waited for a little while to see if the remedy Kate had taken would work. Juliet approached and saw that she was sleeping soundly at last. She left the tent and saw Jack and Sayid talking to Danielle Rousseau. Juliet tried to imagine what they were talking about as she sat down next to Sawyer.

He hugged her and pulled her closer to him. "What do you think they're deciding?"

"Something that pleased everyone, it seems they've finally come to some conclusion." Juliet felt relieved. It was so stressful that Alex could be in danger and that they did not come to a conclusion about what to do.

"Are you calmer?" Sawyer asked confidently. He could not stand to see Juliet worried about everything the whole time.

"More or less." She turned to Sawyer with her eyes downcast. "To be really quiet just when we find Alex, I imagine."

Sawyer sighed. "We can ask what they decided, maybe that will help you, Blondie." He stroked her back as he spoke.

Lightning struck the sky, drawing everyone's attention to enlightenment. A few seconds later a thunderclap almost deafened those around. The rain began to fall. It seemed like the seasons were starting to change on the island.

Juliet and Sawyer took shelter in her tent, before Juliet had a chance to answer the question he had asked her.

"Those rains are getting more and more sudden, right?" Juliet wiped away some raindrops that had caught her.

"At least this time, we'll be able to shelter together from the rain." He moved closer to her and kissed her lightly on the lips. "Just the two of us." He spoke softly.

Sawyer was very happy that they had a time together now, with no one around to bother them.

Juliet smiled at him and kissed him again, but more willingly. He slid his hands down her back as Juliet pulled him closer. It was so good to finally be together and forget about all that was going on around them.

They were lost in the kiss they shared, they only thought of them, when someone suddenly entered Juliet's tent. They were frightened by the unexpected visit, and instinctively they moved away from each other and stared at the door. It was Kate.

"Where's Jack?" They heard her ask. She looked a bit frightened and was totally flooded by the rain. She shivered in the cold.

Juliet gasped, turned to Sawyer, then looked back at Kate. They knew that now they could not have a moment together, and it was clear in the look they gave each other.

She approached Kate and took her hands. "Jack is with Sayid, my darling. Is everything okay?"

"I'll go look for him again, thank you." Kate realized from the looks that she had messed up Juliet and Sawyer and did not want to be a nuisance there. Juliet caught her by the arm.

"Katie, what happened that you need Jack so badly that you woke up and left in that rain?" Juliet put Kate's wet curls out of her face. She saw that Kate had barely slept and still looked exhausted.

"I woke up to the heavy raindrops, and I did not want to be alone there, so I thought ..." Kate ran her hands up her arms quickly to warm herself.

"You can stay here, honey." Juliet put her arm around the brunette. "If you walk in the rain to look for Jack, you know he's going to scold you, do not you?" She laughed.

Kate nodded. "I just do not want to bother you .." Her green eyes met Sawyer's. Kate knew that Juliet would never admit that she was bothering, but she would know if Sawyer agreed with that or not simply by looking at him.

"It's okay, Freckles." Sawyer said. "But you owe me one, huh?" He smiled to make her quieter. Sawyer had been annoyed, but he did not want Kate to come out in the rain either without having slept, he was worried about her, too.

"You do not owe him anything, honey." Juliet laughed and glanced at Sawyer. "Sit down here and I'll get you some dry clothes, okay?" She led Kate to the bed and spread a towel there before so she would not get the bed wet.

As Juliet grabbed the sweater and trousers to lend to Kate, the brunette was so tired that she leaned against the bed and instantly her eyes were closed. "These clothes are very warm and..." Juliet turned to her but saw that Kate was practically asleep.

She looked at Sawyer and sighed.

"Let her sleep, sweetheart, this girl is exhausted." Sawyer spoke in a low tone of voice to Juliet.

"She can not sleep in these clothes, she'll get sick, babe." Juliet knelt down beside the bed and tried to wake her up caressing her face. "Katie, honey, let's get these wet clothes off?"

Kate's eyes barely opened but she nodded.

Sawyer turned to the other side so Kate could change clothes without being embarrassed. Juliet helped her and she soon was already wearing some dry and more comfortable clothes.

Juliet helped Kate lie down again. "Much better now right, darling?" Kate had already settled into a side position on the bed and felt much warmer. Juliet put the blanket over Kate and snuggled her up. She stroked her cheek with the back of her fingers and kissed her head. "Sleep tight." Kate finally fell asleep.

Juliet sat down next to Sawyer, leaned her head against his shoulder, and sighed. "She'll finally be able to sleep at last."

Sawyer hugged her and smiled at her, a slightly forced smile. "Yeah." Juliet knew he was a bit upset that they were not alone there anymore.

"Babe, I'm sorry, but I could not let her ..." Juliet tried to explain but Sawyer interrupted her.

"I know, do not worry, Blondie." He kissed her lips fondly. "I know you feel like you need to take care of everyone around you." He said with no sign of provocation.

She smiled at Sawyer and stroked his face. "Thanks for understanding."

* * *

"Alex, where are you going?" Ben repeated the question, seeing that his daughter had not answered him.

"I was thinking of .. breathing in some fresh air." She just wanted to get away.

"Did you see how it was raining hard?" He pointed to the window.

"Oh .." Alex saw large drops of rain pounding on the pane. She was so desperate thinking about running away that she had not even noticed. "I'm going back to my room then." She bit her lower lip and went to her bed.

Since she had not closed the door, she could hear Ben come back on the phone and she overheard some of the conversation. He had not realized she was listening.

"Yeah, we still have that problem but I do not want to risk that much anymore." Alex listened attentively to Ben telling the person on the other end of the phone. "You decide, think of something, I'm waiting for answers."

She begins to imagine several possibilities of what he would be up to this time. If only she still had Karl to talk to. When she remembered him, her eyes filled with tears and she had to control the hatred and desire to hit Ben at that very moment.

Juliet snuggled into Sawyer. That rain was really relaxing. She looked at him, a passionate look. Sawyer leaned over to kiss her as Kate awoke suddenly. With tears in her eyes and wheezing, she sat on the bed and looked around, frightened.

"Are you okay, darling?" Juliet could not help but notice.

Kate nodded and looked away.

Sawyer knew Kate well, and he knew she still looked a little scared. "Are you sure you're all right, Freckles?" He crouched next to her. Juliet sat down to see what she was going to answer as she stroked her head with her fingertips to help the brunette fall asleep again.

"Yeah, I just.. had a nightmare..twice." She finally blew out, talking softly and looking down.

Juliet sighed. "Katie .." She stroked her cheek. "It's okay, sometimes those nightmares can come back, but you do not have to scare them any more, darling."

"No, it was not that kind of a nightmare." Kate spoke louder, her voice crying. She wanted to forget that those things had happened to her and it was painful to remember. A few tears came up in her tired eyes.

"What was your nightmare about, Freckles?" Sawyer asked, interested.

"About Alex." A tear trickled from her eyes. "She died."

Sawyer and Juliet looked at each other; Sawyer was not sure how to respond to it. Since Claire had had nightmares that really happened, Sawyer did not doubt anything else that could happen there on the island. But Juliet decided to take action. She bent down and left her face at the same height as Kate's.

"Sweetie, as you said it yourself, it happened in your nightmare, okay? Only in your nightmare." She rubbed the brunette's back to calm her. "Alex is fine, and Jack and Sayid will find her."

"Is Jack going out again?" Juliet noticed that Kate's voice was a little desperate to hear the question. Kate sat up, her eyes flicking from Juliet to Sawyer waiting for an answer.

"Jack is right there with Sayid, remember?" She spoke quietly but Kate continued to panic at the thought that Jack would leave her alone. "Katie, look at me." Juliet took her hands affectionately and ran her hand through her hair. "Calm down, darling, it's okay, Jack's close." She hugged the brunette and sighed. "Gosh, you need to sleep, you're so tired." Juliet kissed her head.

Sawyer just watched the scene. He could not help but worry about what Kate had just said. Would Alex be all right?

"I want to see Jack." She asked in a tearful voice.

"Shh, you'll see him soon enough, okay?" Juliet snuggled Kate into his arms. The medicine she'd taken was strong but it did not seem to be working so well. She looked at Sawyer, the two worried.

The rain was fading and a voice called Juliet outside. It was Jack's voice.

"You may come in." She answered him, who was not long in entering the tent.

Kate stared at him eagerly. Jack sat down beside her and Juliet. He kissed Kate's face several times and hugged her.

"What are you doing here, baby? I thought you were asleep." Jack spoke softly as he pulled her into his lap.

Kate wrapped her arms around Jack. "I needed you." She buried her face in his neck.

Jack stroked her hair. "I'm here now." He whispered to her and tucked her into a more comfortable position in his arms. In a few minutes with Jack she fell asleep deeply.

Juliet smiled at the sight, but she remembered that Jack was looking for her when he went there.

"So, what did you want to talk to me about, Jack?" She bit her lip, worried it was some news about Alex.

"Me and Sayid are very likely going to Alex tomorrow." He replied. Juliet was right. "Rousseau did not even wait for the rain to pass, and she's going to send us a signal tomorrow morning if Alex is with Ben." Jack finished explaining.

"And how are you two going to be able to beat Ben and his army?" Sawyer complained. "I'll go with you."

Jack simply nodded. They knew he and Sayid would really need help. Juliet looked from one to the other in bewilderment. She knew how dangerous it was.

"Then I'll go with you, too." She was determined.

Jack frowned. "No chance, Juliet." He shook his head. "Kate will need you here and it's very dangerous. We want to keep you two safe." He glanced quickly to see if Kate was still asleep.

"She will not settle down without you here, Jack." Juliet replied quickly.

"She has a point." Sawyer inclined his head, smiling. For him, everything was an adventure and Juliet going along would be a lot more fun for him.

"Are you wanting her to come along?" Jack looked at Sawyer, his brow furrowed.

"If she wants to go, I do not see any problem." The Conman winked at Juliet.

"OK." Jack sighed, defeated. "Then get some rest, because tomorrow, you're almost certain we're leaving." He stood up carefully not to wake Kate. "I'll take you to my tent." Jack nodded as he left. He was not happy about it. He was very aware of the risks that would run and did not want any more people involved.

Jack laid Kate on the bed and lay down beside her. Tomorrow would be a difficult day.


	35. It Was in Vain

**Yaay! A whole new chapter, that was going to be a bit sad, but I hope you guys still like it.**

 **Thank you so much for your patient, Im taking so long to update but I'll try to become as I used to be.**

 **Love you s2**

* * *

It was morning and Jack had woken up. He knew they would soon see Rousseau's sign in the sky, or not, but Jack was sure it would. His hands stroked her back as she stretched and opened her eyes. She rested her hand lazily on Jack's chest and looked up at him, smiling.

"Good morning, Katie." He stroked her face and pulled her up so he could kiss her. "Did you sleep well?" She nodded as she yawned and closed her eyes again. "Oh no, it's time to wake up, baby." Jack tickled her so she would not go back to sleep. It worked, Kate opened her eyes, laughing. "I need to talk to you."

Kate frowned at the words. "What's wrong, Jack?" She asked, sitting on the bed.

Jack tenderly rubbed her arms up and down. "We're going to need to go out and look for Alex."

Kate smiled. "Ok, when are we going?" She kissed Jack's cheek, Kate was glad he had come back to trust her for that sort of thing.

Jack bit his lip and looked down, not knowing how to explain it. "Hmm..sweetie, it's safer for you to stay here." He looked back at her, Kate's face blank. Would not she go along?

Juliet and Sawyer stormed the tent. "Doc, Rousseau's smoke has already appeared in the sky. Sayid wants to leave now."

"Okay, just give me a minute." Jack spoke quickly to Sawyer and looked back at Kate. "You'll be fine?" He stroked her cheek.

"Are you all going?" She frowned, looking from Jack to Sawyer and Juliet at the door of the tent. She stepped back from Jack, her eyes tearful.

Juliet sighed and entered the tent. She sat down next to Kate and put her arm around the brunette. "No, we're not all going, I'm going to stay here with you, okay?" Juliet looked at Jack to make him feel more relaxed.

"No!" Kate screamed away from Juliet, tears streaming down. "I'll go with them." Kate got up and put the backpack on her back, wiping away the tears that kept rolling with the back of her hands.

"Katie, you stay." Jack caught her by the shoulders. "You will not want to go back to that place, will you?" He looked seriously into her eyes. Kate had already gone through a lot of things, he did not want her to relive it all over again as she entered the Barracks once again.

"I do not care." She tried to get out of Jack's hands when Juliet caught her.

"You'll get better here, honey, please." She hugged the brunette and stroked her hair. Kate gave up trying to go, at least for now. She threw her backpack violently on the floor and ran to throw herself on the bed. She buried her face in the pillow, sobbing.

Jack looked at Juliet and approached Kate. He knew she hated having her wants denied, but at least this time she seemed to have a little more control over her own emotions. He ran his hands over her back affectionately. "We will not be long, okay?"

"Go away." Kate's muffled voice made it clear that Jack was wrong. She was so furious when she stayed the other times. Jack took a deep breath, trying to be patient.

"Are not you going to say goodbye, Kate?" He spoke in a calm voice.

The brunette shook her head without removing it from the pillow. Her curls fell lightly over her shoulders, still sobbing.

Jack looked at Juliet. She realized how much he was upset. "See you tomorrow, Juliet." He said goodbye to her. Kate watched from the corner of her eye as Jack came out of the tent. She was really upset with him.

Juliet sat down beside her, and Kate wiped away her tears. "I hate it when he will not let me choose." She spoke angry, her fists clenched, squeezing the pillow violently.

"Honey, he just wants you to be okay." Juliet wiped some new tears that rolled down the brunette's freckled face. "You have to try to understand Jack's side."

"But he never tries to understand mine." She covered her face with her hands and lowered her head to her knees.

Juliet bit her lip and hugged Kate. She gently lifted her head with her hands and laid it on her shoulder. "Do not think about it, okay?" Juliet brushed the brown curls from Kate's face. "Try to focus on the good things."

"There's nothing good about being treated like a child." Kate left Juliet's embrace and ran out of the tent, into the forest. She was determined to go after Jack and help save Alex.

* * *

Alex did not care. She ran through the house and out the back door. The rain fell on her face, and she ran aimlessly through Dharmaville. Alex did not want to be in that place again.

Ben released the phone and ran after her, but Alex had already disappeared into the woods. He stopped at the door, not wanting to get wet in the rain. "Alex." He bellowed with all his lungs.

The girl running through the forest could hear his voice in the distance. Alex imagined that Ben would be putting an army behind her and was scared. She'd made several trap doors through the woods and knew exactly where the nearest one was. Alex sneaked into the hiding place she used to use and stayed there.

Ben stormed into the house and picked up the phone again.

"Tom, I need you to find me Alex."

* * *

"Kate!" Juliet was on the edge of the forest calling for her. "I can not believe she did it." The blonde raised her hand to her forehead in disbelief. She returned to the tent, completely worried.

"What happened?" Rose sat down beside her, and put her hand on her back, stroking.

"Kate ran away. She just ran away, went after Jack probably." Her voice was tense.

"But what's wrong with her coming along?" Rose tried to make it sound like it was not so serious.

"She did not go together, she went after them. She is alone now, no one enters the forest alone because of the dangers." Juliet spoke quickly and began to think of the worst.

Rose sighed. She did not know what to say.

* * *

Kate looked up at the sky, starting to turn black. The rain falling on Dharmaville was moving into the forest. The brunette followed in the footsteps Jack, Sawyer and Sayid left on the ground, but with rain she might not be able to follow them any more. She started to run, she wanted to reach them fast, before it started to rain.

Kate looked at the steps ahead and did not see a hole where she stepped. She fell violently on the floor and felt an immeasurable pain in her right ankle. Kate moaned in pain and put her hands to her feet instinctively. She had a twisted ankle.

The first raindrops fell on her forehead. Kate got up and tried to continue the path, but the pain was huge. She had to sit down. The rain rose and left her drenched.

"Jack!" She screamed. "Jack, please!" Her voice was growing teary when she realized no one answered, and she was alone there.

Kate wrapped herself in a ball to protect herself from the cold and collapsed in tears.

* * *

Jack, Sawyer and Sayid also saw the rain come, but they did not even mention the possibility of stopping walking. Sayid led them, followed by Jack and Sawyer. Their feet sank into the mud formed of earth and rainwater, which made it harder and more demanding of them, but they stood firm on the walk to the Barracks.

When they saw the yellow houses all the same, they saw that in one of them Ben was talking to Tom under the marquee. They bent down so they would not be seen in the bushes where they were hidden.

"What do you think they're talking about?" Sawyer asked, whispering.

"Alex, I guess." Sayid answered without looking past Sawyer.

Tom and Ben seemed to finish the conversation as the gray-haired man stepped out of the sunroom and stepped out into the rain, infiltrating the forest.

"If they were talking about Alex, it means she already escaped and ran into the forest." Jack concluded.

"Let's check before we decide anything." Sayid soon responded. They walked through the bushes looking for a discreet entrance to the Barracks, when Sayid tripped over something and fell. Jack and Sawyer following him stopped walking and stared at the floor. It looked like a body lying on the floor, it was freezing. Jack turned his body and they were able to recognize Rousseau's face. She was dead. The three of them looked at each other in alarm.

* * *

Tom was flooded as he walked in the rain in his search for Alex. He was furious with Ben who had to do this. Tom walked around grudgingly, barely looking around. He cared little whether he would find Alex or not.

The girl was still hiding in the trap door when she saw Ben walk past her without even noticing her presence. She was so happy that almost no one else knew of those huddles she had planned years ago.

Walking through the forest, Tom saw a girl lying on the floor, curled up in herself, shivering with cold. At first glance he thought it was Alex and approached. She had curly hair, and was thin. The description seemed correct. Tom approached slowly, but Kate could not help but listen to the footsteps. She sat up quickly and looked around, looking for danger that threatened her.

Tom grabbed her from behind and cupped her mouth. "Let's take you to your father, Alex."

Kate was now trembling with fear. She tried to say that she was not Alex, but the hand on her mouth would not let the words out. Kate bit into Tom's finger, letting him release her quickly, and she fell to the floor. She tried to run but the pain in the ankle was so much that she soon fell.

Seeing her face, Tom realized it was Kate. "It's not Alex, but I think Ben will be happy." He smiled as he approached her.

Kate closed her eyes and screamed as she cried. "Jack." The tears on her face mingled with raindrops.

* * *

Juliet paced back and forth, watching the rain fall heavily from outside the tent. Rose was still there with her, becoming worried about Juliet.

"She's probably already with Jack, Juliet. You need to relax." She spoke patiently, while Juliet shook her head.

"She was not going to be able to reach them, they walk very fast." Juliet thought of the worst.

"Stop being so negative, I'm sure you're worrying about it." Rose tried to reassure her, but it was in vain.

"I'll try to find her." Juliet prepared to leave, but Rose stopped her.

"No way." She meant it.

* * *

Jack checked Rousseau's wrist to make sure she was dead. She had been shot close to the heart. No pulse. Jack sighed.

Sayid and Sawyer could not believe it, just as Jack did not. Sayid got up to continue following the plan when Jack heard Kate's voice calling for him.

"Kate?" He yelled back as he stood. Sayid pulled him down again, he was drawing attention.

"I heard Kate's voice." Jack ignored Sayid and continued along the path from where the brunette had called him.

Sawyer and Sayid followed, nonconforming. They had not heard anything.

Walking as fast as he could, Jack soon found Kate struggling to be carried by Tom.

"Put her down now." Jack pointed a gun at the gray-haired man. Kate stopped trying to escape at the doctor's voice. "You heard me, now."

Tom turned slowly, his gaze flat on his face. He released Kate at once, who fell down on the floor with all the force of the fall. She moaned in pain while Jack approached her.

Sayid was prepared for a war. He wanted war. Tom had barely let go of Kate, and Sayid started to shoot him non-stop. Tom was hit several times in the leg and fell. Jack dived to the ground to protect Kate from Sayid's shots.

"Where's Alex?" Sayid screamed with all his lungs.

"I do not know, I'm looking for her too." Tom replied, moaning in pain.

Jack was finally able to check on Kate. "Are you alright?" He cupped her face with his hands, removing the hair that was clinging to her cheeks, full of mud.

"I'm sorry, Jack." Kate burst into tears. "I'm sorry I did not hear you." She was still shivering in those wet clothes as she sobbed. "I just wanted to help."

"Do not worry, baby." He could not fight her when she looked so sorry. Jack took her in his arms and pulled her out of the icy ground, while Sayid was still yelling at Tom.

"You should take Kate back, Jack." Sayid talked to them while he was still pointing the gun at Tom. "Sawyer and I take care of the rest."

Sawyer approached Jack and Kate. "Go to the house Juliet used to live in." He spoke without Tom or Sayid hearing. "The way back to the beach is too long and the girl is not well enough to spend the night in the rain."

Jack looked at Kate. Her lips were purple from cold, a swollen foot that needed care and she still looked so frightened. "I'll do it." Jack nodded, but he was not sure if it was a good idea. "Thank you, Sawyer."

Sayid forced Tom to get up and went together to look for Alex. Tom's leg was bleeding but Sayid kept him walking. Sawyer followed them, looking around for fear that it was some kind of trick.

* * *

Alex realized that Tom was already far away. She put her head out of the trapdoor and the way was clear. She quickly left and ran through the forest, trying to get to the beach as fast as possible.

Alex barely got out of the trapdoor and someone grabbed her. She imagined it was someone sent by her father, but she was a complete stranger. A tall, blond man, very strong. He had a radio and seemed to be talking to someone. "I just found someone." She heard him say to someone on the other side of his transmitter.

Alex tried to remain calm, but it was difficult when she did not even know those people. She stayed right until she finally had the courage to say, "I'm Ben's daughter."

The man looked at her and smiled. "So it's perfect." He said nothing and dragged her back to Dharmaville. Along the way, Alex cried softly. She had never been so scared in her life.

Jack looked around before entering Dharmaville with Kate. It seemed like everyone was home because of the rain. He searched Juliet's house and slipped inside discreetly with Kate. The brunette continued to hold his neck, even when they were safe.

Jack sat with her on the couch. "Katie, how about a hot shower while I do something for you to eat, huh?" He tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, her eyes looking down. "You need to warm up, honey."

Kate simply laid her head on Jack's shoulder, not saying anything. Jack hugged her and stood with her. He led her into the bathroom and filled the tub with hot water. He helped Kate undress and put her into the water. Jack knelt beside her and stroked Kate's face. "I'll be back in a few minutes, okay?" He smiled. Kate nodded.

* * *

Alex felt pain in the arm by which she was being pulled. The man finally stopped walking and turned her violently towards him, the first time she could see his face. "Which of these is your father's house?"

Alex lifted one of her arms, and pointed with her trembling finger to one of the last houses in the hall.

It was not long before she was dragged back, being hurled to the ground just in front of the house she had pointed out.

"BEN LINUS." The man's loud voice echoed everywhere, making Alex shudder once more.

* * *

Jack searched for some clothes in Juliet's closet so Kate could use them. He took a towel and clothes to the bathroom and knocked on the door before entering.

Kate was still in the same position, had not moved an inch. Jack knelt once more next to her, the brunette looked so helpless. "What happened Baby?"

"Im feeling bad." She kept her eyes down, her voice low.

Jack blinked his eyes before looking back at her and asking. "What are you feeling?"

"It's just a bad feeling, you know?" She finally managed to look at Jack.

He smiled at her, relieved. "Nothing bad will happen, Katie, I will not allow it, okay?" He slid his fingers down her cheek and spread the towel. Jack wrapped it in the towel and helped the brunette dress. He led her into the living room and sat Kate on his lap on the sofa. He slowly put a blanket around her. "I'll just see how your foot is, okay?" He felt he needed to explain every move so Kate could rest easy.

Jack cupped her leg affectionately and saw the swollen foot close. As he leaned against his feet to see if it was broken, Kate would cringe in his lap. "It's just twisted, but it's not broken, baby." He lowered her leg. "It will be normal in a few days." He snuggled her into his arms and kissed her forehead. Kate did not seem to want to talk at that moment.

Some screams were heard coming from outside. An unknown voice. Jack looked at Kate and she did not seem to care, she seemed so tired of it all. He sat there, hugged with Kate but the screams did not stop, they seemed like a conversation but it was too difficult to understand the words being spoken.

* * *

"If you do not get out of there, I'll kill her Ben, I'm serious." The man threatened. Alex kneeling on the floor with a gun on her head.

"You can kill her, Keamy, she has no meaning for me." Alex heard Ben say through the radio that the man holding her was in his hands. She looked down, crying even more. She knew Ben was a lousy father, but she never imagined that she meant nothing to him.

"He's serious, Dad." This was Alex's last attempt. "He killed my mother." Tears streamed thickly wetting all the shirt she wore.

Keamy looked at the girl and then at Ben, out of the window of his house. "Are you going to give yourself or not?"

"I will not." A pang in Alex's heart came with those words, and a bullet in her head.

She was dead.


	36. Finally Leaving?

**Guys, Im so sorry I took ages to updated. I hope I can be faster now I back**

 **A new chapter. What are your opinions? Should they leave the Island? s2**

* * *

Sawyer and Sayid, pushing Tom very hard, reached the Barracks in about twenty minutes. It was still raining heavily as they watched the empty Dharmaville and an unknown man walked toward them. "Who are you?" Sayid asked in a loud voice but took a few steps back when Keamy pointed a gun at him.

"Stay on the ground." Keamy threatened them. Sayid and Tom, who were at the front, obeyed but Sawyer pointed a gun at Keamy at the same time.

"I think we're going to have to see who shoots the fastest, cowboy." Sawyer smirked.

"You've already lost." Keamy pulled the trigger when suddenly a sound of shot made Sawyer startle. Had he been hit? but who fell on the ground was the blond man in front of him. When Keamy's large body was already on the ground it was possible to see Ben, his gun still fuming. He had killed him.

Sayid got up and checked the dead soldier. He took the weapon out of his hands and there were no more bullets. Sawyer sighed in relief as Ben approached, looked startled. Tom was still moaning in pain.

"Why did you help us?" Sawyer asked confused.

"Help you? I was avenging Alex." Ben's big eyes were watery. "He fucking killed my daughter." His lips were shaking and Sayid and Sawyer looked at each other. They had not been able to rescue Alex. She was taking a much greater risk than they thought. All of them.

"Who is this man?" Sayid asked Ben in a reassurance as if to indicate they were on the same team now.

Ben shook his head before answering. "They were sent by Charles Widmore." Sawyer and Sayid looked at each other again, even more confused. Tom headed for the infirmary without anyone noticing, but he was no longer important.

"Who the hell is Charles Widmore?" Sawyer frowned, he was so annoyed with this new story.

"He wants to get the island for him." Ben replied coldly, he was still shaken by Alex's death but finally realized what he was doing. "Why am I giving you information?"

Sayid realizing the change of behavior kicked Ben's gun and pointed the weapon he held to the head of the Others Leader. "Because you have a gun pointed at your head."

"Fair enough." Ben swallowed hard and looked into the two boys' eyes.

"Why does this Widmore want the island?" Sawyer asked irritably.

Ben realized where this was coming from. He did not have all this information, and he was going to be killed if he did not respond.

"Look, I can get you off the island, if you stop the questions, I can let you go right now." He knew he could not mess with Widmore.

"Get us off the island? How?" Sayid became interested, and Sawyer did too.

"I have a submarine." Ben said the words quickly, almost non-stop to breathe.

"What if you're lying?" Sayid slammed the gun around Ben's neck as he held it.

"I am not." Ben shouted. "Go to the deck and you will see the sub.

Sawyer and Sayid looked at each other and understood. "I'll call Doc." The Conman ran to Juliet's house, where he knew Jack would be with Kate, while Sayid walked with Ben, threatening him, to the deck.

* * *

Sawyer quickly opened the door, spotting Kate and Jack sitting on the sofa, as if the world were standing still. "What the fuck, did not you hear the shots?"

Jack turned to look at Sawyer, and tightened his arms around Kate. "Sawyer, can you .." The doctor sighed, he did not want to scare the brunette one more time.

Sawyer rolled his eyes and sighed. "Come on, we need to go. We're leaving the island, back home." He moved his hands calling them to go with him.

"Back home?" Kate's voice finally appeared in this conversation. She looked so much more excited. Jack stood up, still holding her in his arms, placing her gently on the floor. She, however, could only stand on one foot.

"Go home, Freckles." Sawyer smiled at her, so excited when she was. He held up a hand for her to take hold of him, seeing that she could not walk very well.

Jack did not buy this story, he put his hands on Kate's waist but decided to carry her to see how difficult she was to move. "Who told you that?"

"Ben." Sawyer replied. "Long story, Doc, but we must go." He put a hand on Jack's back so he could walk away. "Do you want help with her?"

"I want to talk to Ben." Jack said firmly as they walked.

"Do you really want to ruin everything as always?" The conman was losing his temper. "I do not even know where he and Sayid are now."

"How is he going to get us off the island?"

"On a submarine."

"I'm not going to put Kate and all of us on a Others submarine, Sawyer, are you crazy?" Jack did not seem to believe it.

"Well, you almost got into one of these by yourself and dropped us off here after we got caught." Sawyer had the answers on the tip of his tongue.

"Fine." Jack sighed, convincing himself that this was not an impossible thing to do. "But we're going to take everyone with us, right?" He felt like the leader and could not leave anyone behind.

"Whatever you want, Doc, I just want to get out of here with Juliet." Sawyer replied as he looked at Kate. She did not seem to pay much attention to the conversation but still kept the smile on her face. Finally someone who understood.

Jack spotted Sayid and Ben coming out of the bushes and before he thought, he passed Kate into Sawyer's arms. "I'll talk to them, stay with her." Jack kissed Kate's lips in a small kiss. "I'll be right back, sweetie."

She looked at him a little lost and then turned her face to look at Sawyer.

"Alright, Freckles, let's go to the deck." He pulled her into his arms as she wrapped her arms in his neck and walked to the submarine. He needed Ben to open that thing so he sat right there, putting Kate in front of him.

* * *

"Hey Hey" The doctor caught the attention of the Iraqi and Ben. "What's the story you're letting us go?" He asked, raving.

"You do not have to go if you do not want to." Ben replied ironically.

"You understood me." Jack replied patiently.

"Ben has something to hide, something about a man named Charles Widmore. He lets us go in exchange for not asking questions." Sayid explained to Jack.

"Only that?" Jack laughed sarcastically. "All this time and that's what we needed to do?"

Ben nodded, which annoyed Jack. "I will not leave anyone behind."

"Keamy left a helicopter." Ben just wanted to get rid of them by that point.

Jack looked around as if looking for the helicopter. "And where is it?"

"Back there." Ben pointed and Sayid and Jack looked at each other in surprise, It was possible to see even a helicopter behind the trees.

They tied up Ben in a tree as Sayid and Jack get inside the plane. They will need a lot of travel to gets everyone from the beach camp to the deck. Sayid makes the planes goes out of the floor and flies. The fresh air in their faces. They will finally go home.

* * *

"What's the first thing you're going to do when you get home?" Kate asked Sawyer as they waited. The two throwing small pebbles of water into the sea.

"Have a beer, and fall dead in my bed." He laughed. "You?"

"I do not know .." She shrugged. "Run away from the police?"

Sawyer sighed and looked at Kate. "You can live with me if you like, Freckles. I know how to escape the officers." He joked. "Oh wait ... you're going to move in with Doc." He teased her.

"I do not know yet." She laughed but was thoughtful. "It's different to be with him in real life. He has a life, you know ... I have nothing but a mother who hates me." Kate tossed another pebble into the water. "He will not want to run away with me, Jack will want me to solve my situation."

"And would not it be better?" Sawyer asked turning completely to her now.

Kate shook her head. "They'll arrest me." She looked down, her eyes filled with tears. Sawyer used a hand to lift her face down the brunette's small chin.

"Hey sweetheart, come here .." He smiled and hugged his arms. The brunette soon snuggled into him, hiding her face in his chest. "I'm sure Doc will not force you into anything, as much as I hate to admit there's something good in him." Sawyer joked and Kate giggled a bit. He kissed the top of her head while his hand stroke her back. "Don't worry about that now, okay?"

Kate did not answer, but she looked into the distance, a lost look. Sawyer sighed and pulled her to sit between his legs. He pressed the brunette's back into his chest and wrapped his arms around her.

"Are you going to live with Juliet when they get into town?" Kate asked in a voice barely audible.

"We never talked about it." He answered truthfully. "But I would like, she is a great cooker." James joked once more. "And I like her." Sawyer was so sincere that even he was scared. Kate did not seem to like the answer much, however much she was with Jack, now that they were going to live in the real world, she did not think they would work, and in her mind it seemed like she and Sawyer would get along so well. He used to like her, but now ..

"You do not like me anymore, do you?" She looked down, playing with her bare hands.

Sawyer was startled by the question, he did not expect it.

"What is that for?" He asked confused. "Of course I like you, Freckles." He already felt something strong for Juliet and did not want to break it, and James was no longer so sure about what he felt for Kate, but he cared a lot about her.

"I meant like it was before." Kate continued to play with her own hands, realizing that she had lost James. It hurt.

Sawyer sighed and moved a little to be able to look at Kate, a hand caressing the brunette's head.

"Honey, I do not understand where you want to go. You love Jack." Sawyer was so sure of that.

"I'm not sure anymore." Kate's face turned into a crying expression.

Sawyer hugged her. He could not stand it. As much as he thought she was exaggerating in the last few weeks, now she seemed so sincere, so lost, asking for his help. James was afraid to give himself to her, he had already suffered so much and now he was fine with Juliet, that he did not want to hurt either.

"Look at me, Freckles." He wiped the tears from her face with his thumb. "I do not want to see you cry." He sighed and for the first time did not know what to say. "We're going to find out what's best, okay?" He kissed the girl's forehead and held her in his arms.

"I do not want to hurt Juliet and Jack, or even you, but I'm so lost." She blew out, wiping her own tears away and leaving Sawyer speechless once more.

"Where did this come from, honey?" He gently removed her hands so he could wipe away her tears once more. "So far you seemed so right about Jack."

"I love him, he cares for me, but here." She tried to calm down. "Outside I'm a criminal, he's a doctor."

Sawyer frowned, was that what he understood? "So you think it will not work out with Doc and I became your first choice all of a sudden?"

It sounded so ridiculous and futile putting it with those words. "No, Sawyer, that's not it." Her crying came back.

"What is it then?" He asked, this time without wiping her tears.

A loud noise interrupted the conversation. It was the helicopter arriving with Jack, Sayid, Juliet, Charles, Claire and Aaron.


End file.
